The Vaqueros de Bayamón defeated the Santeros de Aguada 81-74 on Sunday at a packed Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez to win their second consecutive Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) title, claiming the 18th championship in franchise history. This time it took seven games, and Bayamón achieved it without Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee, and Chris Duarte. It marks the first repeat title in the BSN since the Leones de Ponce won consecutive championships in 2014 and 2015.
Honestamente, todo esto empezó desde el primer día. Trabajamos mucho.
With under three minutes left, 42-year-old Renaldo Balkman hit a three-pointer and made three crucial blocks to keep Bayamón ahead, earning him the Finals MVP award and making him the oldest player to receive it; he finished with six points and six rebounds in 13 minutes. Balkman credited the team’s native core for succeeding despite starting the season without reinforcements.
Jassel Pérez led Bayamón scorers with 25 points, followed by Javier Mojica (13) and Chris McCullough (12). For Aguada, Joel Soriano scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Jacob Wiley (14), Rigoberto Mendoza (12), Manny Camper (12), and Iván Gandía (11) also reached double digits, though Aguada’s bench contributed just four points.