SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO (Liga Sudamericana) - Quimsa will enter the FIBA Americas League as the new champions of the Liga Sudamericana following an 87-77 triumph over Libertad Sunchales on Thursday night.

Julio Mazzaro had 29 points and Jonatan Triese 21 for the winners in the battle of Argentina teams.

The key stretch in the game started with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

Quimsa, on top 45-44, got a basket from Albert White to trigger a 7-0 run.

Ruben Wolkowyski split a pair of free-throws for Libertad, but Quimsa replied with five straight points from Julio Mazzaro, including a three-ball, to finish the frame with a 57-45 advantage.

Libertad pulled to within eight points in the fourth quarter but got no closer.

Quimsa out-rebounded the visitors 33-18 with Argentina international Roman Gonzalez pulling down a game-high nine boards for the winners.

The hosts of the Final Round also shot the ball much better.

Quimsa hit 33 of 58 shots from the field, including nine of 20 from long range, while Libertad were 26 of 55 overall and just six of 24 from behind the arc.

The Santiago Del Estero outfit stormed out to an early 14-4 lead but Libertad battled back and knotted the contest at 20-20 by the end of the first quarter on Andres Pelussi's three-pointer.

With the score level at 28-28, Treise and Gonzalez scored the last two baskets of the first half to put Quimsa on top by four at the interval.

They took command late in the third quarter and finished off Libertad in the fourth.

Gonzalez also had 16 points for Quimsa while Cleotis Brown led Libertad with 17 points.

In the third-place game won earlier in the night, Sionista prevailed 72-70 over Minas Tenis.

With Sionista trailing 70-69 and 47 seconds remaining, Juan Carlos Bergel buried a game-winning three-pointer.

Leandro Masieri had 15 points and Daniel Hure 13 for Sionista, who also got 11 apiece from Carlos Dixon and Matias Fioretti.

Murilo Becker poured in 17 points and corralled 11 rebounds for Minas Tenis.

FIBA