Caguas Creoles (basketball)

BSN
color1 = #fa901d | color2 = #114c93
name = Caguas Creoles

imagesize = 100px
division = Pachin Vicens Division
coliseum = Coliseo Héctor Solá Besares
city = Caguas, Puerto Rico
colors = Orange, Blue
coach = Leonel Arill
league_champs = 1 (2006)
last = 5-5, Failed to reach Semi-Finals

The Caguas Creoles ( _es. Criollos de Caguas) are a BSN basketball team based in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

History

The "Criollos" professional basketball team began to play during the 1976 season, joining their counterparts the "Criollos" of baseball. Unlike their baseball counterparts, however, the basketball "Criollos" did not enjoy a wild and steady success, instead settling for moderate success.

The "Criollos", with Cayey's native Willie Melendez and Caguas native Willie Quiñones on their side, reached the semi-finals in 1984. Melendez was traded to the "Polluelos de Aibonito" the following season, however, and The Criollos then went on a downward spiral, going 12-21 in 1986, 7-23 in 1987, 9-24 in 1988 and 10-20 in 1989. It should be noted that Quinones, although the Criollos only once posted a winning record with him as a player, always refused to be traded as he declared over and over again that he would only play for his hometown's team. He is a member of the exclusive group of basketball players that have scored 5,000 or more points in Puerto Rican basketball history, 5,000 points being a coveted number because of the relatively small number of games played each year (from 30 to 33 games per season).

In 1987, Caguas Mayor Angel O. Berrios took over as team owner. In the 1990s, a Criollos revival began, and he hired such players as Luis Allende and Orlando 'Guayacan' Santiago. The Criollos reached the semi-finals again in 2002, and got to the playoffs in 2003, losing in the first round.

The "Criollos" decided not to play during the 2005 BSN season, partly because of economical reasons, but the team returned for the 2006 season and won the tournament for the first time in their history after beating the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the finals.

The Creoles entered the league's "Super 6" semifinals. They remained with possibilities of earning advancing until the final stages of the phase, gathering 20 points. [cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/baloncesto/accion_deportiva/super_6_en_la_recta_final/199034| title=Súper 6 en la recta final| author=Raúl Álzaga Sánchez-Bretón | publisher=Primera Hora| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-10| accessdate=2008-06-13] On June 10, 2008, one of the team's games was cancelled when the league suspected that one of the Captains' players was playing against the league's rules. [cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/baloncesto/acciondeportiva/suspenden_partido_entre_capitanes_y_criollos/199294| title=Suspenden partido entre Capitanes y Criollos| author=Lester Jiménez and Raúl Álzaga| publisher=Primera Hora| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-10| accessdate=2008-06-13]

References