Vaqueros champions again: Bayamón captures 18th BSN title and is already talking three-peat

The Vaqueros de Bayamón are champions once again. On Sunday night, August 23, before a packed Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, the Bayamón squad defeated the Santeros de Aguada 81-74 in the seventh and decisive game of the final series to capture their 18th Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) championship ¹². It is the league's first back-to-back title run since the Leones de Ponce repeated in 2014 and 2015, and it extends the record haul of the winningest franchise in Puerto Rican basketball ¹³.

Dominican guard Jassel Pérez powered the offense in the decisive game with 25 points, including 2-of-4 from three, while veteran Javier Mojica added 13 and Chris McCullough chipped in 12 ². But the individual crown went to Renaldo Balkman: at 42 years old, the veteran with an NBA past was named Most Valuable Player of the finals, the oldest player ever to receive that honor in BSN history ²³. In Game 7, Balkman contributed 6 points, 6 rebounds and 3 key blocks in just 13 minutes of action ². 'I work hard every day. I don't believe in days off. I get to the gym early and leave late,' the MVP said after the game ².

The series was a roller coaster that kept fans on the edge of their seats for more than two weeks. Bayamón opened in dominant fashion with a 91-75 home win on August 9 and a dramatic 87-86 victory on Aguada's floor ¹². The Santeros answered with two wins of their own, including a heart-stopping 95-93 overtime thriller inside the Rubén Rodríguez itself, to even the series ¹. Bayamón regained control with a 97-79 blowout in Game 5, but Aguada, down 32-48 at halftime of Game 6, manufactured a 22-1 avalanche in the third quarter to win 82-76 and force zero hour ¹². In the decider, Joel Soriano fought to the end for the Santeros with 21 points and 7 rebounds, Jacob Wiley scored 14, and Rigoberto Mendoza and Manny Camper added 12 apiece ².

Co-owner Carlos Arroyo, who now counts seven BSN championships between his playing days (five) and his time as an executive (two), wasted no time looking ahead: 'We're going for the 3-peat. You have to dream it, you have to manifest it,' the Fajardo native declared ³. Head coach Christian Dalmau earned his first back-to-back as a head coach, and Mojica summed it up on the court: a back-to-back is special, and now the focus is the three-peat ¹³.

What it means for you

If you are a Vaqueros fan, you have every right to puff out your chest: your team is the first to repeat as champions in more than a decade and stretched its record to 18 titles, a mark no one else in the league comes close to ¹³. If you are from Aguada, the Santeros' project pushed the defending champion to a Game 7 and leaves with its head held high ¹². And for every fan of the national game, the party is not over: several BSN protagonists go straight into Puerto Rico jerseys this very week for the FIBA qualifiers ⁴.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Relive Game 7: official recaps, stats and highlights are available at bsnpr.com and on the BSN's social media channels ¹.
2. Watch for the celebration: the Vaqueros traditionally celebrate their championships with a caravan and street party in Bayamón; follow the team's and the city's official accounts for the date, time and route.
3. Mark the FIBA window: Puerto Rico plays Argentina this Thursday, August 27, at the Polideportivo Islas Malvinas in Mar del Plata, and faces Uruguay on Monday the 31st, in the second round of World Cup qualifying ⁴.
4. Follow the champions with the national team: Stephen Thompson, freshly crowned with Bayamón, travels along with Arnaldo Toro and Isaiah Piñeiro to join the National Team, where José Alvarado is already waiting ⁴.

What's next

The immediate focus shifts to Mar del Plata. Puerto Rico sits at 2-4, in fourth place in Group F of the qualifiers, while Argentina leads at 5-1, so every win is worth gold to keep World Cup hopes alive ⁴. Nine of the 12 players called up are already on Argentine soil under coach Carlos González ⁴. On the local front, the BSN offseason begins: the Vaqueros' front office has already set the public goal of a three-peat, something no team has achieved in decades, and the unavoidable question is whether Balkman, MVP at 42, comes back for another crown ³. What is certain is that the Rubén Rodríguez, which roared at full capacity on Sunday, is already hungry for more ¹².

Sources

1. El Nuevo Día — Back to back: Bayamón's 18th BSN championship arrives
2. Primera Hora — The reign continues: the Vaqueros de Bayamón repeat as BSN champions
3. El Vocero — Carlos Arroyo and the Vaqueros are already thinking three-peat
4. El Nuevo Día — José Alvarado and Puerto Rico are already in Argentina for the next FIBA window