Caguas & San Germán notch victories in BSN.

San Germán shot 51 percent from the field and won going away.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Criollos of Caguas and the Atléticos of San Germán were winners on Saturday night to cap off the first week of the 2026 Superior National Basketball (BSN by its initials in Spanish) season.

At Juan “Pachín” Vicens Auditorium in Ponce, the Criollos of Caguas defeated the Leones of Ponce 99-98 in overtime.

Caguas set the pace from the start with an 8-0 run and closed the first quarter leading 23-16, bolstered by their efficiency from the perimeter with five three-pointers in the opening 10 minutes. However, the Leones rallied in the second quarter and took the lead, prompting a constant back-and-forth battle that extended through the contest, which featured 31 lead changes.

In the final seconds of regulation, Travis Trice put the Criollos ahead from the free-throw line; however, Ponce responded following a called timeout, tying the score with less than six seconds remaining and sending the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Trice once again stepped up, this time with a four-point play that gave Caguas the lead. In the closing moments, Louis King scored the basket that put the Criollos in front, and although Ponce had one final opportunity after recovering the ball, they failed to convert their last-ditch attempt.

King led the Criollos with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Trice had 23 points and 7 assists. Alejandro Vázquez led the Leones with 21 points, and Jordan Murphy had 20 points and 12 rebounds.

In San Germán, meanwhile, the Atléticos secured their first home victory by defeating the Indios of Mayagüez 93-72 in a game where the hosts took control in the first quarter and never let up. With the victory, San Germán improved to 3-0 to start the season, while the Indios suffered their second defeat in as many games.

The Indios opened with a 7-2 run, but the Atléticos responded quickly with an 11-2 surge that shifted the momentum of the contest. San Germán closed out the first quarter with a 23-13 lead that it extended to 50-34 at halftime.

The Atléticos stayed in control throughout the second half, building a lead of up to 26 points and entering the final quarter with the game well in hand. As a team, San Germán shot 51% from the field, dominated the boards 40-33, and got 31 points from the bench.

Nick Perkins led the Atléticos with 18 points, while Montrezl Harrell and George Alexander Hamilton added 13 points apiece. Sam Waardenburg led the way for the Indios with 20 points and 7 rebounds.