MIRANDA, Venezuela (Interstat) – Nicolas Palma scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Miranda to an 87-75 victory over Portuguesa on Saturday in Venezuelan SLB action. Miranda improved to 8-15 while Portuguesa fell to 3-18.

Miranda trailed 52-51 at halftime but outscored Portuguesa 27-22 in the third quarter to take a 78-74 lead. The home team pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 25-18 edge. Miranda’s offense posted an offensive rating of 112.7 on 77 possessions, while Portuguesa managed 95.3 on 79 possessions.

Bryan Savinon added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists for Miranda. Delwan Graham contributed 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Edry Gonzalez had 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Milos Petkovic led Portuguesa with 19 points, while Luis Martinez also scored 19 with four rebounds and six assists. Maodo Nguirane posted 16 points and eight rebounds.

Miranda forced 19 turnovers and committed just eight, leading to a decisive advantage in scoring opportunities. The team also dished 13 assists to Portuguesa’s five.