Leones advance to BSN Conference B finals

Jalen Crutcher led the way with 29 points, six rebounds and eight assists as the Leones of Ponce eliminated the Atléticos of San Germán in Game 5 of the National Superior Basketball Conference B semifinals with a 100-86 road victory on Saturday night.

Criollos one win away from advancing in Conference A

By THE STAR STAFF

The Leones of Ponce qualified for the National Superior Basketball (BSN by its initials in Spanish) Conference B finals on Saturday night by defeating the host Atléticos of San Germán 100-86 at Arquelio Torres Ramírez Coliseum.

Ponce staked out a 55-46 halftime lead en route to the double-digit road win, eliminating San Germán in five games in the best-of-seven series.

Jalen Crutcher led a balanced Ponce offense with 29 points, six rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Thomas Robinson added 17 points, Christian Negrón contributed 13, Johned Walker scored 12, and Brady Manek recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. TJ Fernández also contributed 11 points.

André Curbelo finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Atléticos. Alex Hamilton and Nick Perkins contributed 12 points each, while Georgie Pacheco and Onzie Branch finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Leones will face the winner of the series between the Santeros of Aguada and the Capitanes of Arecibo in the Conference B Finals.

Meanwhile, the Criollos moved within one win of the Conference A championship series after rallying from a 16-point halftime deficit to bury the Cangrejeros of Santurce 104-80 at Roger Mendoza Coliseum in Caguas.

Santurce dominated the first half, taking a 58-42 lead into intermission.

However, Caguas opened the second half with a 10-0 run and proceeded to chip away at what remained of the deficit. A free throw by Hiram Huertas brought the Criollos closer, and shortly after, a dunk by Moses Brown put them ahead as the Criollos dominated the third quarter 34-13 to enter the final frame leading 76-71. A 13-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter effectively sealed the win as Caguas closed out with a 28-9 fourth quarter, outscoring Santurce 62-22 in the second half overall.

Louis King led the Criollos with 27 points and seven rebounds. Moses Brown added 21 points and seven rebounds, Hiram Huertas contributed 21 points, and Travis Trice finished with 17 points and eight assists.

Ángel Matías scored 16 points for the Cangrejeros, while Ángel Rodríguez finished with 15 points and nine assists, and Kenneth Faried added 15 points and six rebounds.

The Criollos lead the series 3-2 and are one win away from securing a spot in the Conference A Finals. Game 6 is slated for 8 p.m. tonight at Roberto Clemente Coliseum.