Manatí is one win away from a BSNF title

Jessica Jackson led the Atenienses to their third win with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Atenienses of Manatí defeated the Explosivas of Moca 84-69 on Monday night, putting them just one win away from the Women’s National Superior Basketball League (BSNF by its initials in Spanish) championship.

Manatí (3-1) was unstoppable on offense all night, but it was the Atenienses’ (Athenians) three-point shooting that gave them the decisive advantage at Juan Aubín Cruz Coliseum in Manatí. They sank a total of 14 three-pointers in the game and shot 42% from beyond the arc. All five of their starters scored in double figures, with Jessica Jackson leading the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Jackson played all 40 minutes and shot 56% from the field.

“The game was really good from the start. We came out and started scoring,” Jackson said in a postgame interview. “Even though one of our best players (Kaela Hilaire) is out, we have to play for her and for ourselves. We have to stick together, and it was a really good game. For the next game, we have to stay focused because it’s tough to win in Moca. We have to play defense and do the same thing we did today.”

The Atenienses dominated the first half, 52-31, and went to the locker room with three players in double figures, including India Pagán with 12. Manatí’s offense was fluid, shooting 56% from the field, led by eight three-pointers and 50% accuracy up to that point.

Meanwhile, Samantha Fuehring was the only consistent scorer for Moca, having already reached double figures in the opening half.

Manatí led by 23 after three periods, but Moca started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run on consecutive three-pointers from Sonia Román and Ashley Torres, before Pamela Rosado stopped the momentum with a short jumper. The game remained a back-and-forth affair, but Ashley Torres rallied for Moca with two straight three-pointers that brought the Explosivas within 13 points, 76-63, with 3:52 remaining on the clock.

It was then that Rosado sank another short jumper, and then Pagán hit another three-pointer that extended Manatí’s lead to 81-66 as the Atenienses went on to secure their third victory of the best-of-seven finals. Rosado finished the game with 13 points and 10 assists.

Moca had three players in double figures, led by Fuehring with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Ashley Torres added 15 points and Hilarry Martínez chipped in with 11.

The Explosivas will return home to Dr. Juan Sánchez Acevedo Coliseum looking to extend the series tonight, while Manatí will try to close out on the road. Game 5 tips off at 7 p.m.