Quimsa hosts Atenas at Estadio Ciudad in Santiago del Estero on Monday night in the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, with the opening tip scheduled for 22.05 local time. The fixture pairs two clubs heading in contrasting directions as the season gets underway. Quimsa enters the matchup looking to build on a dominant opening victory, while Atenas opens its 2026–27 campaign following an offseason transition that kept the historic club in the top tier.
Milestone Night for Quimsa at Estadio Ciudad
Monday’s contest marks a historic milestone for the home side, as Quimsa plays its 1,000th game in the history of the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol. Across 21 league seasons, the franchise known as La Fusión has accumulated 600 wins against 399 losses. The club enters the arena carrying a strong run of recent form against its opponent from Córdoba, having won 18 of their last 20 head-to-head encounters and capturing 19 victories against Atenas on home soil in Santiago del Estero. The visitors’ last away win in this fixture dates back to November 30, 2012, when the Cordobese side prevailed 80–78 behind 17 points from Bruno Colli and 13 from Alexis Elsener.
Quimsa arrives with a full roster and high confidence following a 94–67 rout of Platense to open their schedule. In that fixture, Uruguayan power forward Nicolás Martínez led the team with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Following the win, Martínez emphasized the defensive effort that ignited their offense, noting that the team focused on staying firm defensively to generate easier transition looks. Head coach Lucas Victoriano has his complete squad available for the milestone fixture.
Atenas Begins Its 42nd Season Under Leonardo Gutiérrez
Across the floor, Atenas begins its 42nd participation in the 43 editions of La Liga Nacional, maintaining its status as the club with the most seasons played in the competition’s history. The team secured its place in the top flight for this campaign after purchasing the license of Obras Sanitarias following a playout defeat last season that initially threatened relegation to the second-tier Liga Argentina. To steer the new project, club leadership turned to Leonardo Gutiérrez, a central figure in the history of both the club and Argentina’s golden generation of international basketball.
Gutiérrez’s squad enters the opener facing notable roster limitations. Santiago Ferreyra is unavailable due to a shoulder injury, while Tomás Cavallero has been sidelined and preserved due to muscular discomfort. Speaking during preparations in Córdoba, Gutiérrez evaluated his team’s preseason trajectory. We are doing well defensively and have good offensive fluidity,
the coach stated, adding that maintaining regular performance across both ends of the floor remains essential for sustaining competitiveness throughout a demanding schedule.
The visiting backcourt features Franco Balbi, who stands just three three-pointers away from reaching the milestone of 500 career conversions in the Liga Nacional. Atenas will follow Monday’s opening test in Santiago del Estero with a second road assignment against Olímpico in La Banda on October 7, before finally playing its home opener on October 12 against Ferro Carril Oeste at the Estructuras Pretensa Atenas arena.
Quimsa Holds Advantage in Series Against Atenas
Historically, Quimsa and Atenas have faced each other 75 times in league competition. La Fusión holds the upper hand in the overall series with 43 victories compared to 32 for the visiting Cordobese side. Broadcasters will air Monday night’s action live via Basket.tv, with Fabricio Vito, Danilo Molina, and Sebastián Vasallo officiating on the floor at Estadio Ciudad. Prior to the senior game, teams from the Liga de Desarrollo meet at 18.00 local time in the Estadio Ciudad.
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