San Alfonso 30, Felix Perez Cardozo 17
San Alfonso produced one of the biggest shocks of the Paraguay LNB season, beating Felix Perez Cardozo 30:17 on Sunday evening. The hosts, sitting bottom of the table with just one victory from fourteen games, managed to close out a match that many expected to be routine for the visitors. The result leaves the home side still rooted to eighth place while Felix Perez Cardozo drop a further step down the standings.
The visitors started brightly enough, taking an early lead through efficient shooting from distance. By then, the away side had already connected on seven three-pointers and were looking comfortable. And here's the thing — comfort in basketball is often an illusion. San Alfonso tightened defensively, forcing turnovers and disrupting the rhythm that had been carrying the visitors.
The turning point came when the home side began converting in the paint. Felix Perez Cardozo had been relying on perimeter shooting, but San Alfonso's five blocks and constant pressure on the perimeter forced the away team into difficult shots. To be fair, the visitors did not travel to make up the numbers, but they never got out of second gear once the match turned.
The statistics tell a story that does not match the final score. Felix Perez Cardozo outshot the hosts from the field, making 33 field goals to 31, and even led in three-point accuracy with 12 successful attempts. Yet the away side committed 19 turnovers to the hosts' 18, and those extra possessions matter more than shooting percentage when the game is tight.
San Alfonso's defensive rebounds of 27 were crucial, limiting second-chance opportunities for a team that had dominated the boards in recent fixtures. The home side's five blocks changed the complexion of the game, while the visitors managed just one. One mistake ends it in matches like this, and Felix Perez Cardozo made too many of them.
The result ends a five-game losing streak for San Alfonso, who had lost their previous five matches by an average of 35 points. Their last victory came against Capata Bulls with a 126:89 scoreline, a result that looked nothing like what followed against the fourth-placed side. The home side did not travel to make up the numbers — they stayed home and made sure their fans had something to remember.
For Felix Perez Cardozo, the loss extends a difficult run that includes defeats to Colonia Gold and Deportivo Campalto in recent weeks. They sit fourth after fourteen games with eight wins, but this result shows the gap between expectation and reality can be wider than the table suggests.