A season of highs and lows for the Guaynabo Mets ended with a 73 – 94 loss on Sunday to Carolina in game 7 of the BSN semifinals.
Playing without star import DeMarcus Cousins, who left game 6 with a groin injury, the Mets were unable to muster enough offensive firepower to keep pace with the Giants, who advanced to the finals to face reigning champions Vaqueros de Bayamón.
Three-point shooting was the difference in the game, as Carolina hit 16 shots from deep to Guaynabo’s 6. Even without Cousins, the Mets outscored the Giants in the paint, led by Timothy Soares (16 points, 4 rebounds) and Mitch Creek (14 points, 8 rebounds).
Head coach Omar González acknowledged that Soares “found it difficult” in his return to the lineup after failing to see the court in more than a month but blamed an overall lack of execution for his team’s playoff exit at the end of a grueling series.
“I saw tired players,” said González. “The mental aspect is important. We didn’t have a good performance from important players.”
Despite being eliminated, González was pleased with his team’s effort.
“The push that the team made was great. We wouldn’t have wanted to have this ending. I’m happy with how our group responded. We cannot criticize the team for a single game.”
With González taking over as interim head coach, the Mets turned their season around when it looked like a lost cause. They improved from a league-worst 1 – 8 to finish the regular season 21 – 15. Guaynabo then swept Arecibo in the quarterfinals and were up 3-2 over Carolina in the semifinals before dropping the next two games.
It’s hard not to imagine that a healthy Cousins would have pushed the Mets over the top. The former NBA All-Star took the BSN by storm after signing with the Mets this spring, averaging 20.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
While the addition of Cousins raised the bar for the Mets, González admitted that the team exceeded expectations. Back when they were dead last in the BSN, the team’s goal was just to improve and make the postseason.
“If I told you that I expected to do this, to be where we are now, I’d be lying,” González told El Vocero after game 5 of the semifinals.
A game 7 loss is always hard to swallow, but the Mets have a good foundation to build on heading into next season. Guards Gary Browne and Jaysean Paige were among the regular season league leaders in points, assists, steals, and three-pointers made. Both had their best seasons as BSN pros and the pair continued their strong play in the postseason.
“Happy with the work of the boys and the franchise,” said Browne. “We overcame a lot of adversity, but starting 1-8 and turning the season around is something positive to highlight. We gave it our all, unfortunately we had injuries. We keep moving forward.”
The Mets will take some time to regroup and relax before turning the page to 2024. Roster decisions loom and it remains to be seen if González will be back as coach, minus the interim tag.
Whatever offseason changes may be ahead, Guaynabo has shown resiliency in a league known for high turnover and competitiveness. The Mets have made the semifinals for the third time in four seasons thanks to an ownership group that is focused on winning and a front office that’s proven capable of identifying talent and team fit.
As this season showed, there is no accounting for the many twists and turns, ups and downs, that can occur within a few months. One thing is for certain, though: the Mets will be back next year with the same goal they’ve had since returning to the BSN in 2020: lifting another championship banner above the rafters of Mario Morales Coliseum.