By The Star Staff
With 37 points from Travis Trice and 22 from Louis King, the Caguas Criollos beat the Manatí Bears 109-104 in overtime on Monday night to tie the National Superior Basketball (BSN by its initials in Spanish) finals at a game apiece.
The Criollos took a 51-45 lead into halftime but in the third quarter, the Bears (Osos) started 9-0 and pulled to within two, 73-71, at the end of the frame. Caguas put together a 13-3 run to open the fourth quarter and looked to be in control with a 10-point lead as the period progressed, but Manatí responded with a 12-2 run to make it 93-90 with 2:15 left in regulation. After trading leads, with baskets by King and Cheick Diallo (19 points, 7-for-12 from the field, 15 rebounds) and free throws by Jhivvan Jackson (19 points, 5-for-11 from the field, 7-for-8 in free throws, seven rebounds), the Bears led with seven seconds left.
As the clock clicked down to two seconds, Trice made a half-court shot to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In the extra session, it was another 3-pointer by Trice that, with the score tied at 104, put Caguas in front with one minute left, a lead they would not give up. Between turnovers, hasty shots and an off night for Norris Cole (12 points, 6-for-19 from the field), the Bears could not recover and lost for the first time at home in the postseason.
Game 3 will tip off tonight at 8 in Caguas.
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