Gigantes, Piratas, Atléticos pick up wins in BSN

Carolina’s Jaylen Nowell drives to the basket against Bayamón during a Superior National Basketball game in Canóvanas on Wednesday night. Nowell scored with 11 seconds left in overtime to lift the Gigantes to a 94-93 victory.

By THE STAR STAFF

Jaylen Nowell made the Vaqueros of Bayamón pay for a turnover late in overtime, scoring on a floater with 11 seconds remaining to lift the Gigantes of Carolina to a 94-93 victory in a Superior National Basketball (BSN by its initials in Spanish) league game on Wednesday night.

The Atléticos of San Germán and the Piratas of Quebradillas were the evening’s other winners.

With the score standing at 81-79 in Bayamón’s favor during the final seconds of regulation at Carlos Miguel Mangual Coliseum in Canóvanas, Carolina’s Tremont Waters broke free for a layup that tied the game. On the next play, George Conditt delivered a colossal block on Jassel Pérez to force the additional five-minute period that culminated with Nowell’s go-ahead basket and the Gigantes’ defensive stop on the Vaqueros’ final possession.

Waters led the Gigantes with 26 points and eight assists, supported by Nowell with 22 points and Conditt, who tallied 22 points and 19 rebounds. 

Gary Browne’s 17 points led Bayamón, while rookie Jassel Pérez added 20. Carolina improved to 14-10 (9-3 at home), while the Vaqueros dropped to 16-10, still good enough for second place in Section A.

At Aquelio Torres Ramírez Coliseum in San Germán, meanwhile, the Atléticos held off the Santeros of Aguada, 90-88.

San Germán (16-9) appeared to be in absolute control after pulling away by 17 points in the third quarter, thanks to Montrezl Harrell’s (29 points, 12 rebounds) dominance in the paint and Andrés Curbelo’s playmaking (eight assists).

Aguada (11-12) refused to quit, however; led by Rigoberto “El Vikingo” Mendoza (21 points), John Jenkins (nine points) and Jacob Wiley (15 points, 11 rebounds), the Santeros erased the deficit to tie the game in the final minute. In the waning seconds, Harrell scored off an offensive rebound with :04 on the clock to restore the Atléticos’ lead for good as the hosts clamped down on defense on the final possession to secure the victory.

At Raymond Dalmau Coliseum in Quebradillas, the Piratas defeated the Cangrejeros of Santurce, 90-85.

Although Santurce (11-13) led 48-46 at the break, the home team made the necessary adjustments in the locker room as imports Grant Basile (23 points) and Emmanuel Mudiay (21) carried the offense, combining for 44 points.

The final blow came in the fourth quarter, when Quebradillas’ (8-17) defense allowed only 14 points in a defensive effort complemented by a crucial three-pointer by Gian Clavell and clutch free throws by Willo Cruz in the final seconds.