The Basketball Champions League Americas has confirmed its group stage schedule, featuring opening matches in December and key home windows for Uruguayan clubs Peñarol, Aguada, and Biguá across Buenos Aires, Paysandú, Belo Horizonte, and Montevideo.
Opening Tip in Buenos Aires and Paysandú
The tournament gets underway on Wednesday, Dec. 9, with Argentina’s Ferro taking on Peñarol at the Gimnasio Héctor Etchart in Buenos Aires, elpais.com.uy reported. The following day, Peñarol wraps up its first window at the same venue against Brazil’s Minas Tênis. Also on Dec. 10, Aguada begins its international schedule at the Estadio Ciudad de Santiago del Estero against Brazilian champions Franca, before facing host team Quimsa on Friday, Dec. 11.
Biguá enters the competition last as the host of its group’s first window. Playing at the Estadio 8 de Junio in Paysandú, El Pato opens on Saturday, Dec. 12, against Brazil’s Pinheiros and closes on Monday, Dec. 14, against Argentine champions Gimnasia y Esgrima de Comodoro Rivadavia.
January Windows in Brazil
The second window shifts action to Brazil in January. Peñarol travels to Belo Horizonte’s Arena UniBH to face Ferro on Thursday, Jan. 14, and Minas Tênis on Friday, Jan. 15.
Aguada visits the Ginásio Pedrocão in Franca, located about 400 kilometers north of São Paulo. The red-and-greens open against the Brazilian hosts on Saturday, Jan. 16, and play Quimsa on Sunday, Jan. 17. Biguá also plays in Brazil on Jan. 17, starting the São Paulo window against Gimnasia before meeting Pinheiros on Monday, Jan. 18.
February Battles in Montevideo and Comodoro Rivadavia
Villa Biarritz side Biguá kicks off the February window on the road, visiting Comodoro Rivadavia to face Gimnasia on Wednesday, Feb. 10, and Pinheiros on Thursday, Feb. 11.
The Palacio in Montevideo hosts a heavy slate of doubleheaders starting Friday, Feb. 12, when Peñarol opens against Minas Tênis. A double-header features Minas Tênis meeting Ferro and Aguada facing Quimsa. Quimsa plays Franca, followed by Peñarol against Ferro in the nightcap. Aguada meets Franca on Monday, Feb. 15, to conclude the Montevideo window.
Top Two Teams Advance to Quarterfinals
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, which are played in a best-of-three format with the group winner hosting games two and three. Peñarol’s group crosses over with a bracket featuring Mexico’s Astros de Jalisco, Nicaragua’s Real Estelí, and Venezuela’s Guaiqueríes, while Aguada and Biguá’s groups intersect.
Quarterfinal series winners advance to the Final Four, hosted by one of the qualifiers in a single-elimination format featuring semifinals, a third-place match, and the final.
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