Flamengo stages fourth-quarter comeback to edge Peñarol 75-72 in Uruguay friendly

Flamengo secured a 75-72 victory over Peñarol on Monday evening at Palacio Peñarol in Montevideo in the first of two pre-season friendlies during their tour of Uruguay.

Trailing through most of the contest, Flamengo dominated the fourth quarter and mounted a come-from-behind victory despite intense pressure from the home crowd. Point guard Yago Mateus led the way for the Rubro-Negro, finishing with a game-high 21 points.

Flamengo return to action on Tuesday to face Biguá in the second and final fixture of their Uruguayan tour. Tipoff is scheduled for 20:30 local time and will be streamed on FlamengoTV.

First Quarter

The game opened competitively, with both sides demonstrating offensive efficiency. Djalo connected on Flamengo's opening three-pointer, but Peñarol capitalized on inside dominance to edge ahead 11-7, with Ruan Miranda unavailable for the visitors. Yago responded with a three from distance to cut the gap to 11-10. Moments later, with space to operate, the playmaker sank another three to put Flamengo in front 13-11. From that point, both teams found their rhythm from beyond the arc. Peñarol reclaimed the lead, Didi answered with his own three, but the hosts pushed the advantage back out. The quarter remained balanced through its final minutes, ending with Peñarol up 23-19.

Second Quarter

The second quarter mirrored the first, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to create separation. Flamengo kept pace and prevented Peñarol from running away with the game. When the visitors narrowed the gap to two at 29-27, Peñarol called timeout with six minutes remaining before halftime. The hosts responded by extending their lead to 35-30, prompting coach Demétrius Ferracciú to call a timeout for Flamengo. Down the stretch, a three-pointer gave Peñarol an eight-point cushion at 44-36 with just over a minute left in the half. Flamengo managed only one more basket before the break, sending the teams to halftime with Peñarol leading 44-37.

Third Quarter

Flamengo showed resilience throughout the third quarter, grinding away to stay within reach of the hosts. The period featured intense back-and-forth action, with Peñarol responding to every Rubro-Negro push. Flamengo won the quarter 22-19 and trimmed the deficit from seven to four points heading into the final ten minutes.

Fourth Quarter

Flamengo seized control in the final period. The visitors closed the gap early but squandered several chances to take the lead. The turnaround came with four minutes remaining when consecutive three-pointers from Yago and Baralle swung the momentum at 70-68. Yago struck again from distance, extending Flamengo's lead as they shifted into control mode. In the closing minute, the visitors managed the clock expertly and closed out the contest with poise to confirm the 75-72 victory.

Starting Lineup

Yago, Didi, Montero, Djalo and Manel

Coach: Demétrius Ferracciú.