Gimnasia y Esgrima de Comodoro Rivadavia defeats Ferro Carril Oeste in an intense match
With a last-second double from Uruguayan player Gustavo Barrera, Gimnasia y Esgrima de Comodoro Rivadavia defeated Ferro Carril Oeste 71-70 in a regular phase game of the National Basketball League. The match, played at Socios Fundadores, was officiated by Alejandro Chiti, Roberto Smith, and Javier Sánchez, with quarter scores of 23-18, 29-34, and 48-49.
Gimnasia took the lead in the first quarter with a balanced scoring performance from their starters. Captain Diego Romero and reserve point guard Carlos Buendía also had good contributions. Ferro had Mauro Cosolito and Dijon Thompson as their main scoring weapons, with Ignacio Alessio also standing out.
In the second quarter, Gimnasia's defense faltered, and Ferro tied the game at 25 points with a three-pointer from Iván Gramajo. This led to a timeout called by Ferro's coach, Martín Villagrán, with 7 minutes and 31 seconds remaining in the first half.
Gimnasia continued to struggle on offense, losing the ball and allowing Ferro to score. As the minutes passed, Ferro gradually built a small lead with the impressive play of Iván Gramajo. They went on a 10-0 run against Gimnasia, who couldn't find their scoring touch.
With Gimnasia failing to react, Villagrán called another timeout. Ferro won the second quarter 16-6, thanks to better defense and capitalizing on some of Gimnasia's offensive mistakes.
After halftime, Gimnasia tried to reduce the deficit with a double from Gustavo Barrera, but Ferro responded through Franco Balbi and Aaron Harper to take an 8-point lead (31-39). The home team fought back with a 6-0 run from Yoanki Mencía, Jarrid Famous, and Shaquille Johnson, making the score 37-39 and forcing Ferro's coach, Ariel Rearte, to call a timeout.
Famous started to dominate in the paint, and Gimnasia managed to tie the game at 43 points. The "Verde" improved defensively, making the game more balanced, and Ferro began to turn the ball over.
In the final quarter, Ferro took the lead again with a strong performance from Tomás Spano, scoring 5 points to give his team a 60-57 advantage. With 5 minutes and 13 seconds remaining, Villagrán called a timeout.
Later, Franco Giorgetti hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 60, but Ferro quickly regained the lead with a double from Martín Cuello on a fast break.
With 2 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, Ferro scored 2 points (64-66) through Dijon Thompson, prompting another urgent timeout from the home team. With just a few seconds left, the referees called an offensive foul on Aaron Harper, and Gimnasia responded with a decisive double from Barrera to take a 71-70 lead. With 13 seconds remaining, Rearte called a timeout. The Patagonian team defended well against Ferro's last attempt, securing a hard-fought but celebrated victory, nearly avoiding defeat against a strong Ferro team.
SUMMARY
GIMNASIA 71 - FERRO 70
Gimnasia (23+6+19+23): Gustavo Barrera 8, Shaquille Johnson 14, Franco Giorgetti 11, Daniel Hure 6, and Jarrid Famous 21 (starters); Diego Romero 6, Carlos Buendía 3, and Yoanki Mencia 2. Coach: Martín Villagrán.
Ferro (18+16+15+21): Franco Balbi 5, Mauro Cosolito 11, Aaron Harper 4, Dijon Thompson 13, and Ignacio Alessio 8 (starters); Kevin Hernández 8, Iván Gramajo 12, Martin Cuello 2, Tomás Spano 7, and Ariel Ramos 0. Coach: Ariel Rearte.
Quarters: 23-18, 29-34, and 48-49.
Referees: Alejandro Chiti, Roberto Smith, and Javier Sánchez.
Stadium: Socios Fundadores.