Sportiva Italiana came from behind to beat Uachipato 73-72 in the LNB Segunda División on Friday night. The away side took their lead for the first time in the match with just minutes remaining, holding on grimly after a period where both teams traded baskets. Uachipato finished second in the standings with eight games played, while Sportiva Italiana maintained their position at the top with ten matches and one defeat.
And here's the thing — this result reversed the pattern from their recent encounters. Sportiva Italiana had won both previous meetings against Uachipato by comfortable margins, 94-82 and 107-73. To be fair, this time Uachipato stayed in the game and didn't let the away side pull away early. By then, both sides had been involved in plenty of scoring, but neither could build a real cushion.
Uachipato had shown they could compete, winning three of their last five against Omega, including a narrow 68-66 victory. But against Sportiva Italiana, the home side found a way back into it after falling behind, only to lose by a single point. Sportiva Italiana's recent form included wins against Sergio Cheppi and a heavy 88-48 victory over Stadio Italiano before this match.
The away team remain unbeaten in five and now extend their lead at the summit. Uachipato's record of four wins and four losses keeps them in second place, but this narrow defeat shows the gap between them and the league leaders isn't as wide as the table might suggest. The result means Sportiva Italiana hold firm at the top with nine victories from ten games.
What matters here isn't the final scoreline but how it unfolded. Uachipato didn't fall apart after going behind, and Sportiva Italiana had to earn every point in the closing stages. The away end never stopped, and the home crowd stayed until the final buzzer, knowing they'd pushed the leaders to the limit.