CIBACOPA PREVIEW: Culiacan Caballeros at Jal. Astros

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Interstat) — The Jal. Astros host the Culiacan Caballeros on Saturday at Unidad Deportiva Avila Camacho in a Mexican CIBACOPA matchup that pits the league’s top team against a club fighting to stay above .500.

The Astros (65-11) own the best record in the circuit, while the Caballeros (18-20) enter the 8 p.m. local tipoff seeking to build on a surprising victory over the Astros just one day earlier.

In their most recent meeting Friday, Culiacan defeated Jal. Astros 94-86 on the Astros’ home floor. Forward Tre’Darius McCallum led the Caballeros with 27 points, five rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes. Point guard Roddy Peters added 20 points, seven rebounds and 14 assists, and center Torren Jones posted 16 points and 10 rebounds.

That win snapped a four-game head-to-head losing streak for Culiacan against the Astros. In the previous four meetings dating to March 24, Jal. Astros had won by an average margin of 18.3 points, including a 102-79 victory April 8 and a 92-75 win April 7.

McCallum, a small forward, has been a consistent force for Culiacan. Over his past nine games, he has scored at least 13 points eight times and reached 25 or more points in four outings. He recorded 25 points, three rebounds and four assists in a 94-81 win over Guaymas on May 16, and 26 points, six rebounds and two assists in a 110-100 victory May 8.

For the Astros, power forward Tyran de Lattibeaudiere remains a key contributor. He averaged 15.5 points and 6.3 rebounds over his last 10 games entering Friday. In the loss to Culiacan, he finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, one assist and two blocks. De Lattibeaudiere also posted 17 points and eight rebounds in a 93-81 win over Guasave on May 13, and 15 points and six rebounds in a 117-108 victory at Venados on May 6.

Jal. Astros own the league’s best home record, but they have dropped two of their last three games overall, including a 111-106 win over Los Mochis on May 19 and a 99-72 victory over the same opponent May 18. The Astros have outscored opponents by an average of 16.7 points per game this season.

Culiacan, meanwhile, has won four of its last six contests. After the win Friday, the Caballeros will return home to face the Astros again Wednesday, May 27, in the second leg of the back-to-back series.

Saturday’s game marks the sixth meeting between the teams this season. Jal. Astros lead the series 4-1, with Culiacan’s only victory coming Friday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time at Unidad Deportiva Avila Camacho.