National Finals Game 1: Sanatura 81 Barva 80

In the two games we've played against defending champ Barva in the regular season, we've gone to overtime both times. In this first game of the Finals, we didn't need overtime to get a winner, but it was high drama til the final whistle. Either team could have won this game.

Henry driving to the basket.

Both teams started out the game feeling each other out early in the game, trading baskets and mini runs. Early foul trouble put our starting point guard--Cristian Chavarria--on the bench for a good part of the first half with Javier Bustamante filling in. The first quarter ended with Barva leading by one point.

In the second quarter, Michael picked up his second foul on an iffy call. We went ahead and sat him for a while to avoid a third foul. Barva went with a small and quick lineup that let them stretch out the lead to six points with drives to the basket and solid defense on their end. We played with better energy in the third quarter, bridging the gap in the first few minutes. Henry Martinez made some clutch baskets to get us down by 2 going into the fourth quarter.

From late in the third quarter ti the end, we started trading baskets with Barva for the lead (25 lead changes in this game). Clifford Smith kept parading to the free throw line where he was a perfect 10 for 10 from the line. We finally started getting baskets inside. Neither team could break away as the game wound down. The last couple minutes saw some clutch baskets from both sides.

Dixon on Moya

With 29 seconds to go, we were down 1 with the ball. Henry found a wide open Dave Millinier on the inbounds play for the go ahead basket, but Barva still had 18 seconds for one offensive possession. Barva put the ball in Clifford Smith's hands for the final shot...the ensuing rebound hung in the air for eternity. Ike St Rose got to the ball and got not one but two taps at the basket but came up just short, before we tapped it out of bounds. Now with ten seconds to go, Barva had yet another shot at the win, but this time we controlled the ball on the rebound after the miss to seal the game.

Game 2 will be in Palacio de Deportes in Heredia at 4pm; the final series is best of three. If the previous games are any indication, we should get another close game on Sunday.

Game Notes

• Michael Jackson led our scoring with 22 points. Again our balanced attack saw five players with double digits. Clifford Smith score 19 points for Barva, leading a perimeter attack that also saw 15 points from Ike St. Rose. 
• Rohel Wilson had 12 rebounds for Barva. He's become such a good player. I still remember when he walked into the Escazu gym about five years ago; I wanted to sign him on the spot, but he played that season in Limon.
• Futbol is king in Costa Rica. I totally get that, but I don't understand why local basketball doesn't get more coverage for big games. These two teams have played three intense games that have all gone down to the wire...and we're lucky if we make it to the local news. Luckily Channel 33 is broadcasting these games live so we get some needed exposure.
• We played with our snazzy black uniforms for the first time. 
• My wife shows up for the big games. She had her eyes closed for most of the fourth quarter, though. She can't take the back and forth, and this game had plenty of that.