27 Jul 2025

Brazil edge USA in overtime thriller to take men's basketball gold

ESSEN - The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Prince have all raised the distinctive roof of the Grugahalle since it opened in 1958, but the ‘Concrete Butterfly’ of Essen had never seen anything quite like this.

In the men’s basketball gold medal match at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games on Saturday evening, Brazil produced an astonishing comeback to defeat USA in overtime and snatch the gold medal from the pre-tournament favourites.

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After Brazil led 20-17 at quarter-time, the USA got to work and seemed in total control, leading by a game-high 26 points mid-way through the third and then by 22 going into the final quarter.

But with USA still ahead by the huge margin of 19 points with only 4:41 left on the clock, the game flipped on its head, and Brazil launched a withering late burst led by Adyel Felipe Pereira Borges.

In that time, Pereira Borges scored nine points, had three assists and two steals, and when Reynan Gabriel Camilo Dos Santos (BRA) hit a three-pointer with six seconds remaining, the scores were tied at 80-80.

USA’s top-scorer Obi Agbim (30) had a chance to win it at the final buzzer but missed a two-point shot from outside the paint, and Brazil then outscored USA 14-8 in the overtime period to complete an astonishing fightback.

‘NOTHING COULD STOP US’

Afterwards Pereira Borges complimented his team’s passionate spirit.

“We stuck together and got the energy we needed from each other to come back,” Pereira Borges said. “I can’t really explain it. We just felt positive and re-entered the game with a smile. We said to ourselves that we’ll be fighting until the end.

“We are Brazilians and don’t give up easily... nothing could stop us from getting gold.”

Meanwhile, Agbim was philosophical about the loss.

“Credit where it is due,” said Agbim. “Brazil didn’t stop fighting, they kept their foot on the pedal, and they didn’t really look at the score.

“I feel like we looked at the score and we flinched a little, and the moment we flinched that gave them the opportunity to fight their way back into the game.”

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BEST EVER

Brazil coach Fernando José de Oliveira Pereira said he couldn’t remember such a comeback in any game, let alone a final.

“This was the best game I’ve ever coached, for sure, no question,” de Oliveira Pereira said. “We were down by 22 in a final. That’s unbelievable.

“I just keep thinking the players were incredible. They played with heart. They never gave up. What they did was amazing.

“The players deserved this. They fought so hard. We only had 10 days of preparation, but we trained twice a day. They worked, they ran, they defended.”

BIG HURT

USA coach Scott Homer Drew still saw positives despite the massive disappointment.

“You want it to hurt,” Drew said. “Because if it doesn’t hurt, then you’re not competitive. If it hurts bad enough, you’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again – that’s for coaches, players, and everybody.

“I know they’re hurting, and I know we’re hurting – the good thing is we’ll get better from it.”

Brazilian celebrations will go long into the Essen evening and point guard Matheus Santos Neves da Silva will be leading the charge.

“It will be crazy tonight,” Neves da Silva said.

But on the final night of a wonderful basketball tournament, there will be no medal-winning celebrations for host Germany, as they went down 80-70 to Lithuania in the earlier men’s bronze medal game.

FGNS pg/cc/mb