Leones outduel Santeros, Piratas earn first win of season in BSN.

Jezreel de Jesús led Ponce with 24 points in the Leones’ victory over Aguada on Sunday night.

Tyson has a big night to lead Gigantes

By THE STAR STAFF

The Leones of Ponce outlasted the visiting Santeros of Aguada in a back-and-forth contest in one of three Superior National Basketball (BSN by its initials in Spanish) league games on Sunday night.

The Gigantes of Carolina and the Piratas of Quebradillas were the evening’s other winners.

At Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce, the Leones defeated the Santeros, 93-88.

After a close opening quarter that saw both teams go on runs, the visitors took a 36-28 on a three-pointer by Iván Gandía with 6:23 remaining in the second period. The Leones responded again with an 18-9 run capped by a jump shot from Jalen Crutcher to go into halftime leading 46-45.

In the third quarter, a putback dunk by Jacob Wiley gave the lead back to the Santeros, 57-54, with 5:29 left. But a three-pointer by Omar Figueroa flipped the score back in Ponce’s favor, 59-57, with 4:36 remaining, and the Leones closed out the period with the lead, 72-68.

In the fourth quarter, the Santeros took what would be its last lead on a basket by John Brown III, making it 73-72 with 8:39 on the clock. Immediately thereafter, Crutcher responded with a layup to the hosts back in front, 74-73. Later on, a three-point play by Jezreel de Jesús extended the lead to 83-75 with 4:41 remaining, sealing the victory for the Leones.

De Jesús led Ponce (6-8) with 24 points, followed by Jordan Murphy with 21 points and six rebounds. Crutcher contributed 17 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, while Darius Bazley added a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Figueroa chipped in with 11 points.

Rigoberto Mendoza spearheaded the Santeros’ (7-4) attack with 21 points, followed by Antonio Ralat with 18. Brown and Gandía each tallied 10 points.

At Carlos Miguel Mangual Coliseum in Canóvanas, meanwhile, the Gigantes beat the Capitanes of Arecibo, 111-91.

The Gigantes dominated the first 10 minutes of action, taking a 30-16 lead, and led by three points at halftime. The Capitanes took a 55-54 lead early in the third quarter, but a 14-5 run by the home team put the hosts back in front to stay.

American forward Hunter Tyson (Clemson) enjoyed his best night to date in the BSN, recording 38 points and 14 rebounds in the victory.

American forward Hunter Tyson had his best night to date in the Superior National Basketball league, posting 38 points and 14 rebounds to lead Carolina over Arecibo.

Tyson, a second-round pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2023 NBA Draft, sparked the decisive run with a jump shot that put his team ahead 56-55. Immediately afterward, a long-range bomb by Tyson and a dunk by George Conditt extended the lead. Arecibo countered with a basket by Rafael Pinzón and a hook shot by Timothy Soares, cutting the deficit to 61-59. Then came the moment when Tyson put the offense on his shoulders, sinking two jumpers and a three-pointer to give the Gigantes a 68-60 advantage en route to an 86-73 lead after three quarters.

Jaylen Nowell had 36 points (eight three-pointers) for Carolina (6-5), while Tremont Waters contributed 13 points and 12 assists. In his return to the court, Conditt tallied six points and four rebounds in 11 minutes of action.

Rameses Meléndez led Arecibo (8-4) with 24 points, followed by Pinzón with 16.

At Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey, the Piratas defeated the Cangrejeros of Santurce, 96-95, for their first victory of the season in 13 starts.

Emmanuel Mudiay scored 30 points off the bench to lead Quebradillas (1-12), followed by Thomas Robinson with 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Ángel Rodríguez (19 points), Jordan Howard (18), Ángel Matías (17) and Devon Collier (16) paced a balanced Santurce (5-7) attack that fell short.