The current champion of the Major Basketball League (LMB), Metapán, began the defense of the title yesterday in the Apertura 2024 Copa Tigo Sports Tournament at the Abel Mazariego, where it received a visit from the runner-up, Brujos de Izalco, with whom it starred in a duel very even that ended 74-70 in favor of the locals.
The caleros opened the scoring through the double shot made by Kevin Pineda in the first 36 seconds of the game, but instantly, Julio Crespín tied the score with a double shot. The dispute to conquer the boards was such that at the end of the first period the difference imposed by Metapán was only one point, 24-23.
10 seconds into the second quarter, Angelo Ortega launched a shot that gave Brujos two more points with which they announced that this period would not be easy for the locals either. The Izalqueños were in charge of increasing the advantage and did so by winning the episode 17-21 for a total of 41-44.
The attack of the American Eddie Ishman helped the Caleros continue adding in the third period, as he scored four double shots. But the Izalqueños did not sit idly by and with five doubles and two triples they marked a one-point advantage over the home team and finished that period 16-17, also ahead on aggregate 57-61.
With 5:40 left in the fourth period, Teodoro Romero, from Brujos, committed a foul on Pineda, who was in charge of making the two free throws effective with which they went ahead on aggregate with one point, an advantage that Marco Tejada increased with two double shots. After that, with 20 seconds remaining, Crespín, of the visitors, fouled Joe Araujo, who missed a free throw and scored the second with which Metapán won that round 17-9 and on aggregate 74-70 .
Metapán’s top scorers were Eddie Ishman, with 26 points; Marco Tejada with 19 and Kevin Pineda contributed 18 units; For Brujos, Julio Crespín scored with 20, Alfonso Tobar scored 16 and Teodoro Romero scored nine.
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