“Metros relies on defense in victory against Cañeros in semifinal A”

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SANTIAGO. The Metros de Santiago defeated the Cañeros del Este 69-63 in the first game of the LNB Super League semifinal A held this Tuesday at the Gran Arena del Cibao.

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The game was decided by debutant Juan Guerrero, who sank a three-point shot just as the 24-second clock expired. The basket gave the Metros a 67-63 lead with 28.3 seconds left in the final quarter.

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The second game of semifinal A will be this Thursday, at 8:00 at night, at the Eleoncio Mercedes Sports Center in La Romana.

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The Santiago team’s defense proved to be an important factor in the victory by holding Yeison Colomé scoreless in the second half, and the team from La Romana only scored 26 points in the final two periods.

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For the Metros, who shot 39 percent from the field with 23 rebounds, Jhery Matos scored 19 points with eight rebounds; Jordan Hall added 14, and Juan Guerrero finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

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The partials ended 25-16, 9-21, 19-15, 16-11 in favor of the Metros.

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For the Cañeros, Marvin Smith Jr was the best on offense, with 20 points, followed by Yeison Colomé, with 12, and Raymond Bastardo achieved 11 units.

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The Cañeros executed a defensive system that yielded good results and allowed them to come back from a deficit, holding the Metros to two points in five minutes, who won the first quarter 25-16 and dominated the rebounds in the first half 26-16, as well as the assists 11-9.

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The visitors, with a red-hot Yeison Colomé scoring 12 points, held the Santiago team to nine points (21-9) to head into halftime with a three-point lead (37-34), thanks to a miraculous three-point shot by Marvin Smith Jr. at the buzzer of the second quarter.

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With 2:05 left to play in the second quarter, the game was tied 31-31 and 34-34, and the Cañeros’ defense stifled the Metros’ offense, who shot 36 percent from the field, compared to 45 percent for the team from La Romana.

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Match this Wednesday

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The Gigantes Basketball Club will host the Héroes de Moca this Wednesday, starting at 8:00 p.m., at the Mario Ortega Sports Center in San Francisco de Macorís, at the start of semifinal B.

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