Defense is key as Cangrejeras roll over Ganaderas in BSNF

Shae Kelley (with ball) scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Cangrejeras of Santurce pummeled the Ganaderas of Hatillo on Monday night.

By THE STARS STAFF

The Cangrejeras of Santurce defeated the Ganaderas of Hatillo 71-45 on Monday night in a Women’s Superior National Basketball (BSNF by its initials in Spanish) game at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan .

The first half was low-scoring for both teams, but Hatillo struggled the most, managing only 19 points in 20 minutes of play. The Ganaderas had no answer for the Cangrejeras’ suffocating defense. Head coach Fernando Casablanca opted for a full-court press, which paid off as Hatillo committed 11 turnovers in the first half. Santurce scored 15 points off those turnovers. Additionally, the Cangrejeras recorded seven steals and four blocks on the way to a 37-19 halftime lead.

The Cangrejeras’ offense was balanced, with eight different players contributing to the scoring in the first two quarters. 

At the start of the third quarter, the Ganaderas responded to head coach Tony Ruíz’s halftime message by coming out with a 7-0 run, narrowing the deficit to 37-26, and then pulling to within nine points (41-32) with 5:09 remaining.

But Santurce regained control and led 57-32 going into the fourth quarter, which played out as a formality.

Leading the way for the Cangrejeras were Teana Muldrow (15 points, nine rebounds) and Shae Kelley (13 points, 12 rebounds).

Dontavia Waggoner again led Hatillo with 21 points and six rebounds, while Okako Adika recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

“Limiting them to a maximum of 13 points per quarter was the key to the game,” Casablanca said after the game. “We did a great job forcing them to miss shots. The bench seized the opportunity and played very well. We wanted to make things difficult for Waggoner and limit the impact of their available roster.”