MEX - Halcones split two

XALAPA (LNBP) - Halcones began their Mexican LNBP league title defence with contrasting results from their opening two games, while eight teams claimed two victories and are on top of the standings.

Chuck Skarshaug's Halcones began the league with a 92-88 home defeat against Cometas from Queretaro. Samuel Bowie top-scored with 32 points but Cometas won their first game in the South Zone thanks to 23 points from Gilby Sanchez and a 21-point contribution by Regie Jordan. But on Saturday night, the Xalapa-based reigning champions recovered to thrash Guerreros from Fresnillo 114-81, with Omar Lopez netting 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

La Ola from Mexico City are one of the teams who scored maximum points this weekend, beginning with a 98-81 victory over Bucaneros from Campeche, thanks to great performances from Boubacar Aw and Robby Collum, who netted 25 points each.

Then, Aw contributed 24 points toward his team's 87-63 victory over Yucatan-based Mayas. Lobos from Coahuila are the first North Zone team in the overall standings, also with a 2-0 record, following two great away triumphs. Wendell Greenleaf netted 26 and 21 points in the respective 107-89 win over Tecate-based Astros and the 101-93 triumph over Cimarrones from Ensenada, in a match in which Melroy McKelvey top-scored with 32 points.

Astros also fell victim to Fuerza Regia, who defeated them 97-81 at home. The Monterrey-based outfit are part of that leading group with two triumphs, as they also hit Cimarrones 96-90. Two of the three teams called Correcaminos, the ones from Reynosa and Matamoros, began with a couple of victories.

Reynosa hit Soles from Mexicali 100-88 on Thursday and Galgos from Tijuana 83-67 on Saturday, with 27 points from Gerardo Rios in the second match.
Both Galgos and Soles also lost in Matamoros, 84-73 and 67-61 respectively.

Lobos Grises, Panteras and Cometas complete the eight-team leading group. Durazno-based Lobos Grises needed five minutes of overtime to edge Santos Reales from San Luis 117-111, and then destroyed Correcaminos from Victoria 122-77 away.

Aguascalientes-based Panteras, meanwhile, hit Zacatecas-based Barreteros 91-82 and Gambusinos from Fresnillo 90-87. Cometas, after beating Halcones from Xalapa, hit Halcones from Veracruz 79-70 to achieve a double win, while Tim Jones, with 32 points, and Ronell Mingo, with 27, allowed Barreteros to win 91-85 at Lechugueros.

Elsewhere, Pioneros hit Mayas 80-70 in Quintana Roo, with Cedric Patton, Eric Carr and Sanjey Noriega all hitting 18 points. Correcaminos from Victoria won 90-56 over Algodoneros, who also lost on Saturday night 107-105 in their visit to Santos Reales. Finally, Bucaneros hit Pioneros 76-73 with 17 points from Yahir Malpica.

By PA Sport