Navierra Ulloa defeated Las Animas 77:68 in the LNB on Tuesday evening, overturning recent form that suggested otherwise. The hosts took control at home and held their nerve when the game tightened, closing out a result that surprised many watching the Chilean league.
The visitors had looked strong coming into this fixture. Las Animas sat second in the table after twelve games, with nine wins and only three defeats to their name. They had beaten Navierra Ulloa in each of their last two meetings, most recently 79:74 just three days earlier.
Our prediction had backed the away side at 55 per cent confidence, but the match went another way. Navierra Ulloa changed shape at the break and let the game flow in their favour, while Las Animas struggled to find rhythm against a defence that stayed compact. The visitors took them apart in the first half, but the hosts kept their side in it and gradually turned the tide.
The result gives Navierra Ulloa a psychological boost after a run of losses. They had dropped games to Puerto-Montt, Ancus, and both encounters with Las Animas in August, including a heavy 56:104 defeat. This win breaks that pattern and shows they can respond when the pressure comes.
For Las Animas, the loss does not shift their position in the table. They remain second, but the gap to the leaders could tighten in the coming weeks. They are running out of games to make up ground, and such defeats against home sides tend to accumulate quickly in this league.
