For the first time since 2000, the name of the champion of the superior basketball tournament of the National District will be known after a seventh game.
Jonathan Araujo was effective from the perimeter (6 triples) and under the boards (11 rebounds) to sneak 29 points and Juan Miguel Suero contributed another 23 points to lead Mauricio Báez to an 82-70 victory over Bameso in the sixth game of the final series held, once again, to a full house at the Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto.
The seventh and decisive match will be held tonight on the same stage starting at eight o’clock at night.
Araujo was 11-for-15 from the field, including 6-for-7 from behind the curve. Juan Miguel, with his classic offensive game of going to the basket, added 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Brandone Francis came off the bench to be the third scoring force for Julio César Javier’s side. He had 16 points with four triples and baskets that responded to attempts by the Bamesians to get closer on the scoreboard.
Diego Moquete had another eight points off the bench, while Mauritian offensive benchmark Gerardo Suero scored six points when he was limited to just nine shots.
Only the five of them scored for the boys from Villa Juana.
Víctor Liz, who tried to lead a fourth-quarter comeback that came within two points of Bameso, led his team with 21 points and five three-pointers, but went 6-for-16 from the floor. He grabbed nine rebounds.
Miguel Dicent contributed 17 with three shots from three and Trahson Burrel added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, in addition to six assists, but only scored 3 of 18 attempts at the basket, including 13-2 in shots from three points.
Show Araujo-Dicent
The first quarter was the Araujo and Dicent show. Ten intense and busy minutes with both teams knowing what was at stake. Mauritian dominance from distance with four three-point shots, including three from Araujo, the tallest man on the court, who was also dominating the fight under the boards.
A total of 13 points of the 18 that Mauricio Báez had (18-16) were in the hands of Araujo who only left for his teammates a triple by Diego Moquete and a basket by Juan Miguel Suero.
Dicent, on his side, had 10 of the 16 from Bameso, who missed the contributions of Víctor Liz and Trahson Burrel who went blank in the scoring box as did Gerardo Suero on the Mauritian side.
More triples
Araujo started the second quarter with another triple, followed by others from Burrel and Moquete.
Juan Miguel Suero started the engines supported by his penetrations and trips to the line of free casts –with his usual failures-.
Bameso saw the “arrival” of Liz, but Mauricio responded with a pair of 3-pointers from Brandone Francis. The intensity and the lost balls multiplied, but those from Villa Juana maintained and extended the advantage until they scored seven goals in the middle of the match (41-34).
In the complementary part, Liz scored 16 points in an attempt to bring back the Bamesians who got to two (71-69) in the middle of the last quarter, but the Mauritians always responded with baskets from Juan Miguel, Gerardo or Araujo .
honor roll
The immortal of the sport Vinicio Muñoz made the honorary kick-off before the game. He was a 7-time champion, 4-time MVP, and is the career leader in points (7,107), rebounds (2,477), free throws made (1,331), seasons (26), and games played (354).
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First since 2000
Antecedent.
The last time the district final went to a seventh game was in 2000 when Mauricio -for the second year in a row- came back from 2-3 to beat San Lázaro.
Eighth time.
It will be the eighth tournament in which the champion is decided in a seventh game. Mauricio has participated in four and is 3-1. Bameso will debut.
Presence.
Apart from the regulars in the final, rappers Rochy RD and Nino Freestyle and DJ Adoni were at the game.