VILLAVICENCIO (Colombia) – Astros de Jalisco (MEX) once again capitalized on its deeper roster and transition offense to defeat Paisas(COL) for the second time, 100-92, in a Group A matchup of the Basketball Champions League Americas 2025-26 at the Álvaro Mesa Amaya Coliseum in Villavicencio, Colombia.
With the win, the team led by Spanish head coach Iván Déniz secured first place in the group and will face reigning champions Flamengo (BRA) in the Quarter-Finals. Flamengo has already locked up second place in Group B, behind group leaders Nacional (URU).
Turning point
Back-to-back three-pointers by Daishon Smith and Diego Willis ignited a decisive 14-4 run by Astros, pushing the lead to 100-85 with 1:41 remaining. Before that surge, Paisas was operating with a shorter rotation and had cut the deficit to 83-81 with 5:48 left on the clock, but clearly ran out of gas down the stretch.
Player of the game
Smith turned in a standout performance with 27 points, the highest scoring output by any player this season, while going 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also came up with three steals.
Michael Carrera followed with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Christopher Perry added 14 points and 8 boards, and Trey Burke chipped in with 11. For Paisas, Brandon Weatherspoon and Jonathan Augustin (9 rebounds) led the offense with 19 and 17 points, respectively. Michael Miles (6 assists), Eric Crawford and Jared Ruiz each scored 15.
Stats don’t lie
Despite shooting an efficient 51 percent from the field (37-of-72), Paisas turned the ball over 17 times compared to just nine by the Astros. The team’s defense was unable to slow down the Mexican side, which dominated fast-break points 43-8 and points off turnovers 31-12. Astros’ bench, led by Smith and Perry, poured in 60 points, compared to 26 from the opponents.
Bottom line
Astros (4-0) will return home for the third and final window. With qualification and first place already secured, the team will be able to give extended minutes to their already deep rotation. Paisas (1-2) will be back in action this Tuesday against hosts Caimanes del Llano (0-3). A win would immediately secure a Quarter-Finals berth; otherwise, the second spot in the group will be decided on Mexican soil.
FIBA