MOCA. — The Heroes of Moca starred in a solid performance to take away the undefeated status from the Gigantes Basketball Club, by winning 80-75 in the Sunday game of The Super League of the LNB, held in the Moca 85 sports complex.
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The Mocano team had the offensive leadership of Caleb Huffman, who scored 25 points, backed by Eloy Vargas with 20 points and nine rebounds. Robert Glenn also contributed with 10 units and John Clark Jr., who added nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
With the victory, the Heroes place their mark at 3-4, with three wins in their last four matches, while the Giants, despite the setback, remain at the top of the tournament with a 7-1 record.
For the Francomacorisanos, Francis King Fitzgerald led with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. Luismal Ferreiras added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Charles Brown Jr. finished with 14 units and five rebounds.
The outcome was decided in the final minutes. With 3:02 left to play, Vargas put up a 76-66 lead from the free throw line, but the Giants reacted and got closer to 76-73 after a basket by King Fitzgerald with 1:01 on the clock. However, Jaison Valdez sealed the game with two free throws with 9.4 seconds left.
Discipline in ball handling was key for the Heroes, who only committed eight turnovers. In addition, they dominated from the free throw line with 32 successful attempts in 45 tries (71%) and limited the Giants to 36% in field goals, including only 14% in three-pointers (3 of 22).
After a favorable start for the home team, who went ahead 15-4, the Giants reacted to close the first quarter 18-16. The match remained close until a 6-0 rally led by Huffman allowed the Heroes to go into halftime up 40-34.
In the third period, the Mocanos extended their lead to 56-41, but the visitors responded with a 13-2 run to close the gap to 58-54 at the end of the quarter. In the final stretch, the Heroes knew how to handle the pressure to secure the victory.
Next matchdayThe LNB Super League will resume action this Tuesday with the Leones de Santo Domingo visiting the Marineros de Puerto Plata, and the Héroes de Moca facing the Soles del Este as visitors.
