Colónias Gold beat Félix Pérez Cardozo 91:62 in the Paraguayan LNB on Friday evening. The hosts held their nerve from the opening tip, and the gap never really narrowed. To be fair, the visitors had chances to stay in it, but they gave nothing away when it mattered.
The home side's shooting was the difference. They found a way through the defence with three-pointers, making 15 from 38 attempts while the visitors managed 8 from 32. The assists tell the same story — 23 for Colónias Gold against 15 for their opponents. One mistake ends it, and the away team made too many at crucial moments.
On the boards the hosts controlled the paint. Colónias Gold pulled down 42 rebounds to 30, with 11 offensive boards giving them extra possessions. The visitors had just 7, which meant they couldn't sustain any momentum. By then the game was already slipping away.
Defensively the hosts were sharper too. Eight steals compared to none from the visitors, and only 9 turnovers against 12. The away side had nothing to do all evening once the home team established their rhythm. They were reduced to reacting rather than dictating.
And here's the thing about the standings. Colónias Gold move closer to the top with their tenth win in fourteen games, while Félix Pérez Cardozo remain fourth after six defeats. The gap between them is narrowing, and the home side made it clear they fancy their chances of finishing higher.
Recent form supports the result. Colónias Gold had lost to San José in their last meeting but bounced back with three straight wins, including that heavy 90:45 victory over San Alfonso. The visitors have been inconsistent — a 79:78 win followed by a 75:93 loss — and inconsistency is what caught up with them here.