San Lorenzo de Almagro (basketball)

San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo
Nickname	Azulgrana
Conference	Sur
Leagues	LNB; Champions League Americas
Founded	1935; 89 years ago ; (Basketball section)
Arena	Polideportivo Roberto Pando
Capacity	2,700
Location	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Team colors
President	Marcelo Tinelli
Head coach	Silvio Santander
Championships	2 FIBA Americas League ; 5 Argentine Leagues ; 1 Argentine Club Championship ; 1 Súper 4
Website	sanlorenzo.com.ar/basquet
Home	Away

Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is the men's professional club basketball section of the homonymous sports club based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The team plays in the Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB), which is the first tier level division of the Argentine basketball league system, and Pan-America's premier men's basketball league, the Basketball Champions League Americas. Their home arena is the Estadio Ciudad de Santiago del Estero. The team is currently coached by Silvio Santander. In the period 1942-1973, he stood out for what he did at the amateur and semi-amateur level, in which he won 29 regional titles, won the Argentine Club Championship, and was South American runner-up in 1958. In addition, he was one of the founding clubs of the National League, playing the opening game of said tournament on April 26, 1985. Although the club is known mainly for its soccer part, it is also one of the most important basketball clubs in the country and South America, being a multi-champion at various times in its history. He has to his credit five Leagues (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21), two Liga de las Américas, and other titles such as a Super 4, and two Super Cups. San Lorenzo is the first, and so far, the only Argentine basketball team to face an NBA team. It is the only club that has been four-time and five-time champion of the National League.

History

Beginning and golden years

San Lorenzo affiliated to the Argentine Association in the 1930s decade, and won a large number of championships from the 1930s to the 1970s, being nicknamed The Cathedral of Basketball. 1942 was the year when San Lorenzo achieved its first titles, winning the Torneo Apertura (Opening Tournament) and the Official championship, organised by the Buenos Aires Basketball Association. One year later, the team won another Apertura title, and they then won the 1946, 1949, and 1950 Apertura official titles. The club's most notable players of that era were Alfredo Belli, Salvador Capece, and Alberto Trama. Other notable members of the team were Armando Bo and Francisco Sommariva.

In 1951, San Lorenzo played against The Harlem Globetrotters, at the Estadio Luna Park, in Buenos Aires. That same year, the team won the Apertura championship (and repeated again in 1952), and the Official in 1954. Two years later, the team won another Official title, remaining unbeaten, and its first Torneo Metropolitano (Metropolitan Tournament) title. In 1957, San Lorenzo made its first international tour of Brazil, where the squad won 8 of 12 games played. Players on the tour were: Ricardo Lanzillotta (team captain), Herberto Fagnani, Edgar Parizzia, Oscar Zagatti, Carlos Vasino, Vicente Lazzara, Erio Cassetai, and Carlos Marranzino, with Francisco del Río being the head coach of the team.

San Lorenzo won its first national title in 1958, the Campeonato Argentino (Argentine Championship of Clubs). That allowed the team to play its first official tournament outside of Argentina, as the club competed in the South American top-tier level South American Championship of Champions Clubs, where San Lorenzo finished second, behind Defensor Sporting. At the Argentine national domestic level, San Lorenzo won the 1958 Apertura title, and finished third in the Buenos Aires championship (although the squad won the 1959 and 1960 titles). In 1966, San Lorenzo won the Apertura title finishing unbeaten, and both the Metropolitano and Buenos Aires championships, in 1968.

The 1970s began with the 1970 Metropolitano championship, and the club then winning two titles else in 1971. That same year, San Lorenzo toured in Europe, marking the first time that an Argentine team played there. The club's layers were Oscar Visciglia, Gustavo Aguirre, Carlos Perroni, Carlos Garro, Dante Massolini, Norberto Pacheco, Carlos Perales, Abel Rojas, Néstor Delgui, and Emilio Dumani, with Edgard Parizzia acting as the team's head coach. San Lorenzo defeated OKK Beograd, Yugoslavian national league club, and six rivals from Italy. They also played against the Spain national team.^[2]^[3] During that tour, the team was nicknamed, La Catedral (The cathedral), after a speech from team player Emilio Dumani, saying: "This is a team that always fights, and never turns off... like the lights of a Cathedral".

Despite those successful years, the 1973 Buenos Aires championship was their last title until the 2010s.

**1971 tour of Europe details**
Date	City	Rival	Result (wins in bold)
Spain
30 Apr	Balaguer	Spain national team	49–94
1 May	Balaguer	Gillette (USA)	73–75
2 May	Balaguer	OKK Beograd	78–74
Italy
6 May	Bari	OKK Beograd	88–89
7 May	Bari	Fides Napoli	63–93
8 May	Bari	Tropicali Pesaro	70–72
9 May	Roseto	Monti Roseto	90–69
12 May	Rome	Patriarca	89–80
14 May	Reggio Emilia	La Torre Reggio Emilia	81–57
15 May	Brugherio	Candy	70–74
16 May	Turin	Riber	94–79
17 May	Genoa	Athletic Genova	75–63
19 May	Rome	Lazio Snadiero	93–85

Liga Nacional and decline

On April 26, 1985, San Lorenzo played the opening game of the recently created Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB) (National Basketball League), facing Argentino de Firmat at the Obras Sanitarias venue.^[4] Nevertheless, the team was relegated that same year.^[5]

The basketball section of the club was inactive between 1986 and 1993, returning only at youth levels. In 1996, San Lorenzo's senior squad returned to first division tournaments of the city of Buenos Aires. The club also won the Under-22 championship (2004), and the 2012 Copa De Oyarbide (Oyarbide Cup).

Return to glory

In 2014, San Lorenzo debuted in the Torneo Nacional de Ascenso (TNA) (National Promotion Tournament), the second tier level division of professional basketball in Argentina.^[6] In 2015, San Lorenzo acquired a vacant place in the Argentine top-tier level Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB) (National Basketball League), because of a merger with the club 9 de Julio de Río Tercero.^[7] 30 years after its debut in the LNB, San Lorenzo returned to the top division on September 22, 2015, and beat Quimsa, by a score of 79–64.^[8]

San Lorenzo won its first LNB title in 2016, after beating La Unión, with a 4–0 series sweep in the league's finals. San Lorenzo player, Walter Herrmann, was chosen as MVP of the Finals.^[9]

In the following season, San Lorenzo won its 2nd consecutive Argentine League title, after defeating Regatas Corrientes, 4–1 at the finals. The team became the most winning team in the LNB's history, with a 23–3 record. Gabriel Deck was chosen as the Final's MVP.^[10] Unlike the 2015–16 series, San Lorenzo played its home games at Roberto Pando arena, in Boedo, Buenos Aires.^[11]

Arena

San Lorenzo plays its home games at the Polideportivo Roberto Pando, which is located in Boedo, Buenos Aires. The arena has a seating capacity of 2,700 people.

Players

Current roster

San Lorenzo roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.		Age
C	1	Caffaro, Agustín	2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)		29 – (1995-02-06)6 February 1995
SG	2	Tucker, Dar	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)	93 kg (205 lb)	36 – (1988-04-11)11 April 1988
C	3	Williams, Justin	2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)		40 – (1984-05-12)12 May 1984
SF	6	Mata, Marcos	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)	107 kg (236 lb)	38 – (1986-08-01)1 August 1986
PG	7	Aguirre, Nicolás	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)		36 – (1988-03-31)31 March 1988
SF	8	González, Luciano	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)		34 – (1990-01-01)1 January 1990
SG	10	Fjellerup, Máximo	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)		26 – (1997-11-24)24 November 1997
PG	11	Vildoza, José	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)		28 – (1996-01-24)24 January 1996
C	15	Batista, Esteban	2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)	122 kg (269 lb)	41 – (1983-09-02)2 September 1983
C	18	Piñero, Facundo	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)	118 kg (260 lb)	36 – (1988-09-26)26 September 1988
SG	24	Fernández, Lisandro	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)		26 – (1998-01-19)19 January 1998
C	50	Anthony, Joel	2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)	111 kg (245 lb)	42 – (1982-08-09)9 August 1982

Head coach

Gonzalo García

Legend

(C) Team captain
Injured

Roster

Updated: 2020–01–01

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria
To appear in this section a player must have either: Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Head coaches

Oscar Rigiroli
Elpidio Pertuzzo
José Biggi
Francisco Del Rio
Alberto Trama
José Bellino
Edgar Parizzia
Julio Lamas
Gonzalo García

Statistics

Games versus NBA and European-wide league teams

Versus NBA teams

14 October 2016	Toronto Raptors	122–105	San Lorenzo	Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
	Scoring by quarter: 32–22, 21–33, 34–27, 35–23
	Pts: VanVleet 31 Rebs: Poeltl 6 Asts: VanVleet, Heslip 5	Game Report Box Score	Pts: 22 Meyinsse Rebs: 7 Aguirre, Mata Asts: 11 Aguirre	Attendance: 15,113 Referees: Pat Fraher, Lauren Holtkamp, Scott Wall

7 October 2019	Cleveland Cavaliers	120–89	San Lorenzo	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio
	Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 43–29, 26–21, 30–15
	Pts: Clarkson 17 Rebs: Thompson 10 Asts: Osman 5	Game Report Box Score	Pts: 20 Batista Rebs: 11 J. Williams Asts: 7 Aguirre	Attendance: 9,902 Referees: Brent Barnaky, Ken Mauer, Phenizee Ransom

Versus EuroLeague teams (Tier 1)

12 September 2017	Real Madrid	81–84	San Lorenzo	Ciudad Deportiva Príncipe Felipe, Madrid, Spain
	Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 23–15, 26–18, 13–25
	Pts: Campazzo 16	Game Report	Pts: 25 Tucker	Attendance: 150 Referees: Fernández, Zamorano, Serrano

15 September 2017	Barcelona	85–95	San Lorenzo	Pabellón de Balaguer, Balaguer, Catalonia, Spain
	Scoring by quarter: 19–31, 20–25, 23–19, 23–20
	Pts: Moerman 21 Rebs: Moerman 5 Asts: Heurtel 7	Game Report	Pts: 23 Deck Rebs: 14 Deck Asts: 4 Mata	Referees: O. Perea, J. Oyón, V. Mas

Versus FIBA Saporta Cup teams (Tier 2)

7 May 1971	San Lorenzo	63–93	Fides Napoli	Bari, Italy

		Game Report

Versus FIBA Champions League teams (Tier 2)

15 February 2019	San Lorenzo	64–86	AEK Athens	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Honours

National

Campeonato Argentino de Clubes (1): 1958
Liga Nacional de Básquet (5): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020-21

Torneo Súper 4 (1): 2016–17

Regional

Asociación de Buenos Aires Championship (12): 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1968, 1971, 1973
Torneo Metropolitano (5): 1956, 1967, 1968, 1979, 1971

International

Liga de las Américas (2): 2018, 2019

Others

Arganda del Rey, Spain Invitational Game: 2017

In international competitions

Latin America

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

Year	Competition	Round	W	L	W%
2017	FIBA Americas League	Second Group Stage	4	2	.667
2018	FIBA Americas League	Champions	8	0	1.000
2019	FIBA Americas League	Champions	7	1	.875
2019–20	BCL Americas				–
Total	2 Titles		19	3	.864