PUERTO LA CRUZ, Venezuela (Interstat) — The Venezuelan SLB’s division race tightens Monday night when the Margarita Guaiqueries visit the Anzoátegui Marinos at Luis Ramos de Puerto La Cruz.

Margarita (23-16) enters the 7 p.m. local time tipoff with a four-game losing streak against Anzoátegui (23-12), which holds a 3-1 edge in the season series. The Marinos took both games in Margarita last week, winning 71-70 on June 12 and 71-68 on June 11. A fourth win Monday would give Anzoátegui a firm grip on the standings.

Guaiqueries center Juan Guerrero has been a consistent force despite the losses. Over his past 10 games, Guerrero has averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds while logging at least 21 minutes in each contest. In the June 12 defeat, he posted 11 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes. Two nights earlier, he produced a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. Guerrero also recorded double-doubles in wins over Caracas on June 3 (15 points, 11 rebounds) and June 1 (19 points, five rebounds). His scoring has peaked at 30 points, which came in an 84-69 victory over Caracas on May 31.

For Anzoátegui, point guard Gregory Vargas has been instrumental in the Marinos’ recent surge. In the June 12 win at Margarita, Vargas played 29 minutes and finished with 10 points, five rebounds and one assist. He followed a similar pattern in the June 11 victory with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes. Over his last 10 outings, Vargas has averaged 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists, shooting efficiently from the floor. His best all-around game came May 28 at Zulia, where he logged 35 minutes, totaling six points, six rebounds and seven assists in an 89-86 victory.

The Marinos have won five of their last six games overall, with the sole blemish a 79-75 home loss to Zulia on June 2. Margarita has lost four of its last five, including a 64-61 defeat at Caracas on June 6.

The teams meet again Tuesday at the same venue, concluding a back-to-back set that could significantly impact playoff positioning.