Santos de San Luis 87 – 86 Mineros de Zacatecas – In a thriller that came down to the final possession, Santos de San Luis edged out Mineros de Zacatecas 87–86 on July 24, 2026, in a Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) clash. The home side secured the victory with a clutch defensive stop in the dying seconds, maintaining their strong form at the Auditorio Miguel Barragán.

Match Overview

Both teams entered the contest with playoff aspirations, and the intensity was evident from the opening tip. Santos controlled much of the early pace, building a 10-point lead in the second quarter. However, Mineros, known for their resilient defense, clawed back behind a sharp shooting performance from their backcourt. The lead changed hands multiple times in the fourth quarter before Santos sealed the win with a late steal and a free throw to go up by one.

Key Moments

• First Half Surge: Santos’s small forward, Alejandro Rivas, scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, helping his team to a 45–38 lead at the break.
• Third Quarter Response: Mineros opened the second half on a 12–2 run, sparked by guard Óscar Luna’s three three-pointers, flipping the score to 50–47 in favor of the visitors.
• Clutch Defense: With 8 seconds left and Mineros leading 86–85, Santos point guard Javier Herrera forced a turnover on an inbound pass, then drew a foul on the fast break. He split the free throws to tie the game at 86. On the ensuing possession, forward Carlos Muñoz blocked Luna’s jumper, and Santos recovered the rebound as time expired.

Tactical Story

Santos relied on aggressive man-to-man defense and transition offense, while Mineros used pick-and-roll actions to free up their shooters. The turning point came when Santos switched to a zone defense in the final two minutes, disrupting Mineros’ spacing. Mineros also struggled from the free-throw line, missing 6 of 14 attempts in the fourth quarter, including two crucial misses with under a minute remaining.

Standout Players

• Alejandro Rivas (Santos): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists. His five offensive rebounds gave Santos second-chance opportunities.
• Óscar Luna (Mineros): 19 points (5-9 from three), 4 assists. He carried the offensive load in the third quarter.
• Javier Herrera (Santos): 12 points, 8 assists, 2 steals. His composure in the final seconds proved decisive.

Season Impact

The win pushes Santos to 8–4 on the LNBP season, keeping them in the top four of the standings. Mineros drop to 6–6, still in the playoff picture but now three games behind the division leader. The result also gives Santos a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker over a direct rival, which could matter in the tighter-than-expected race for home-court advantage.