Astros take the first game of the CIBACOPA final

In a duel dominated by defense, the Jalisco Astros took the first step toward their third title in the Pacific Coast Basketball Circuit (CIBACOPA), defeating the Tijuana Zonkeys 75-70 in the first game of the 2025 season finale.

The quintet led by Iván Déniz emerged victorious in this first duel played in a packed Astros Arena, after the Tijuana team squandered key opportunities in the final seconds with the score at 71-70, including a missed shot from the perimeter and a foul that gave the ball back to the home team.

It was a duel of alternatives at the Astros Arena, as the two teams traded the lead, although the home team had greater control of the scoreboard, with their largest margin in favor being as much as 10 points, as opposed to the Zonkeys' maximum advantage of four.

However, the Astros' bench made the biggest difference in the game, as the substitutes contributed 28 points to the 13 for the border team. Tijuana was also unable to capitalize on Jalisco's 16 turnovers, which managed to regroup defensively to prevent further damage.

Jerai Grant IV led the Astros with 26 points, while Tra McCallum grabbed 13 rebounds and scored 10 points for a double-double, key to Jalisco's victory. For the Zonkeys, Joshua Webster added 25 points, leading the visiting team.

Overall, the Astros shot 28 of 72 from the field, for a 38 percent effectiveness, while their work under the boards led to the victory, winning 52-40 in rebounds.

This Saturday, the Astros will look to cover the halfway point toward a new title when Game 2 of the series is played at 7:00 p.m., also at the Astros Arena before the series moves to Tijuana next Tuesday.