Carolina tops Santurce to go up 2-0 in BSNF quarterfinals
By THE STAR STAFF
The Gigantes of Carolina defeated the Cangrejeras of Santurce 80-76 in the second game of the Women’s Superior National Basketball (BSNF by its initials in Spanish) league quarterfinal Series B on Monday night at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey.
Carolina appeared headed for a comfortable victory after dominating the third quarter, but Santurce staged an extraordinary comeback in the final 10 minutes, erasing a 13-point deficit and even taking the lead. Nevertheless, the Gigantes showed their mettle when it counted most, securing their second win of the best-of-five series to move within one victory of advancing to the semifinals.
Following an evenly played first half defined by back-and-forth scoring, the Gigantes started the third quarter with a four-point lead and a completely different level of intensity. Carolina opened the period with a 17-5 run, combining aggressive defense with effective execution on offense. The visitors outscored the Cangrejeras 25-16 in the frame to take a 61-48 lead.
However, the Cangrejeras -- who featured the debut of new reinforcement Aubryanna “Bree” Hall -- were far from finished; they began the final quarter with a 4-0 spurt, forcing Carolina to call a timeout to reorganize its defense.
Santurce’s momentum persisted after the break as Kiara Leslie and Hall hit back-to-back three-pointers to narrow the gap to three points, 63-60, with just under six minutes remaining. The Gigantes’ Joyner Holmes hit two free throws to extend the lead to 65-60, but Hall attacked the basket again, scoring on the righthand side to keep Santurce within a possession.
The teams proceeded to trade baskets in a stretch highlighted by a spectacular play by Carolina’s Grace Berger, who caught a pass from Holmes while cutting along the baseline and finished with a reverse layup. The Cangrejeras’ rally peaked when Brianna Jones hit a three-pointer to give Santurce its first lead of the night, 68-67, with 3:22 left.
Far from losing their composure, Carolina once again looked to Holmes to regain control. With 3:02 remaining, she received the ball in the paint, attacked under the basket, and completed a spectacular three-point play -- including the free throw -- to put the Gigantes back in front, 70-68. After Holmes added another basket to extend the lead to 72-68, Leslie scored quickly to keep the Cangrejeras within just two points.
From that point on, the game shifted primarily to the free-throw line, where Lasha Petree and Charity Harris converted crucial points for Carolina, while Leslie and Alicia Penzo kept Santurce’s hopes alive. Penzo sank three free throws in two trips to the line, bringing the Cangrejeras to within 76-74, but Petree hit two free throws with nine seconds left to make it 78-74.
In the waning seconds, Santurce’s Alicia Penzo inbounded to Leslie, who drove quickly to the basket to narrow the gap to 78-76. The Cangrejeras immediately fouled Berger, who calmly sank both free throws to seal the victory.
Holmes led the way for the Gigantes, recording 28 points and nine rebounds. Hall had 19 points and five rebounds for Santurce.
The Cangrejeras face a must-win Game 3 tonight when the series resumes at Guillermo Angulo Coliseum in Carolina.
