Mayagüez forces Game 7 against Arecibo

Sam Waardenburg led Mayagüez with a dominant performance of 24 points, 10 rebounds and two assists to force tonight’s Game 7 against Arecibo.

By The Star Staff

The Mayagüez Indians (Indios) and the Arecibo Captains (Capitanes) will go to a seventh game to decide which team advances to play the Ponce Lions (Leones) in the National Superior Basketball Championship (BSN by its initials in Spanish) finals.

The Indios defeated the Capitanes 87-80 on Monday night at Manuel “Petaca” Iguina Coliseum in Arecibo.

Sam Waardenburg led the winners with a dominant performance of 24 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, while George Hamilton flirted with a triple-double with 16 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists.

Alfonso Plummer led the Capitanes with 21 points, and Jamil Wilson added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in a losing effort.

Game 7 tips off tonight at 8:15 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mayagüez.

Ponce punched its ticket to the BSN finals on Sunday by eliminating the Quebradillas Pirates (Piratas) 86-80 in the other semifinals series at Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce.

Jezreel De Jesús led the Leones’ offensive attack with 28 points, followed by Matt Mooney with 22 (all in the second half), and Aleem Ford with 13 as Ponce ousted Quebradillas in six games.

Grant Basile led the Piratas with 27 points, while Gian Clavell and Emmanuel Mudiay each added 15.