Atenas Cordoba edged out Ferro Carril Oeste 91-86 in a hard-fought Liga Nacional de Básquetbol clash at the Polideportivo Carlos Cerutti, holding off a late rally to protect home advantage in a game that was tighter than the final margin suggests.

The win gives the Córdoba outfit another valuable result in the LNB regular season, while Ferro return to Buenos Aires with a respectable road performance but no reward for a resilient fourth-quarter push.

Match Overview

Atenas controlled the tempo for long stretches and led for the majority of the night, but never managed to fully shake a Ferro side that stayed within striking distance thanks to timely three-point shooting and second-chance points. The hosts built their advantage through a strong third quarter, then survived a nervy closing stretch in which Ferro cut the deficit to a single possession.

• Final score: Atenas Cordoba 91, Ferro Carril Oeste 86
• Venue: Polideportivo Carlos Cerutti, Córdoba
• Competition: Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (Argentina)
• Quarter scores: 24-20, 21-25, 25-19, 21-22

The quarter-by-quarter breakdown tells the story of a game decided by one dominant stretch. Atenas opened with a four-point lead after ten minutes, saw it wiped out before halftime, then produced the decisive run immediately after the break.

How the Game Turned

The first quarter was played at a controlled pace, with Atenas feeding the ball inside and drawing fouls early. Ferro responded from the perimeter, knocking down contested looks to keep the game close, and by the midpoint of the second period the visitors had briefly taken the lead on the back of an 8-0 run.

Halftime arrived with the scores effectively level at 45-45, but the third quarter belonged entirely to the home side. Atenas opened the period with a 12-3 burst, forcing Ferro into two quick turnovers and converting both into transition points. That stretch pushed the lead into double digits and gave the Cerutti crowd something to feed on.

Ferro refused to fold. A late fourth-quarter surge, built on aggressive drives and a pair of deep threes, trimmed the gap to three points with under two minutes remaining. Atenas answered with a composed possession that ended in free throws, and then sealed the result with a defensive stop on the next trip down the floor.

Tactical Story

Atenas won this game on the glass and at the free-throw line. Their frontcourt dictated the physical terms of the contest, generating extra possessions and forcing Ferro into help rotations that opened up kick-out shooting. Defensively, the hosts switched aggressively on screens in the second half, which slowed Ferro's pick-and-roll attack and pushed the visitors into more contested mid-range attempts.

Ferro's best basketball came when they played small and spread the floor, using quick ball movement to create open corner threes. That approach kept them alive, but it also left them vulnerable on the defensive boards, and Atenas repeatedly punished them with put-backs in the third quarter.

Turnovers were also a factor. Ferro's late-game execution was sharp, but the careless giveaways early in the second half gifted Atenas the exact momentum swing that decided the contest.

Standout Performers

Atenas were led by a balanced scoring effort, with their starting backcourt combining for a significant share of the team's 91 points while also controlling tempo in the closing minutes. The interior presence was equally important, anchoring the defensive effort and finishing efficiently around the rim.

For Ferro, the perimeter shooting was the highlight. Their guards kept the visitors in the game with high-percentage looks from beyond the arc, and the team's rebounding effort on the offensive end generated several crucial second-chance baskets during the comeback attempt.

What It Means in the Liga Nacional

For Atenas, this is exactly the kind of home win that keeps a team in the upper half of the LNB standings and builds confidence heading into a demanding stretch of the calendar. Protecting home court at the Cerutti remains one of the most important elements of any successful campaign in Argentina's top division, and Atenas did that here.

Ferro can take encouragement from the performance even in defeat. Taking a traditional powerhouse to the wire on the road is a sign of genuine competitiveness, and their ability to fight back from a double-digit deficit says something about the character of the roster. The margins in the Liga Nacional are slim, and Ferro will know that better late-game discipline would have flipped the result.

The two clubs now turn their attention to the next round of fixtures, with Atenas looking to build a winning run