Romero and Rivas grind out Game 2 as San Salvador sweep Salvadorenas for fifth LMBF crown

San Salvador are once again the queens of Salvadoran women's basketball, grinding past Salvadorenas 70-63 in Game 2 of the LMBF Copa GanaPlay Apertura 2026 finals on Thursday at the Gimnasio Nacional Jose Adolfo Pineda to complete a 2-0 sweep and capture their fifth Liga Mayor de Baloncesto Femenino title moving ahead of Santa Tecla BC as the competition's most decorated club. The defending champions who won the Clausura 2025 title in November to equal Santa Tecla on four now stand alone atop the all-time winners list after a playoff run that confirmed their status as the dominant force in Central American women's basketball. The clincher was a war of attrition. San Salvador trailed 14-15 after the first quarter and 30-34 at halftime as Salvadorenas' Gabriela Escobar (162-G-2007) who finished with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-27 shooting kept her side in the contest single-handedly. But San Salvador's defense tightened in the second half, and a 18-18 fourth quarter sealed a 70-63 victory built on free-throw shooting and composure in the clutch.
Arlenys Romero (176-PG-1984) led the champions with 21 points, converting 9-of-13 from the charity stripe while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Anisleidy Galindo) posted a massive double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds (12 defensive) with four assists, anchoring the interior on both ends. Captain Elisa Dominguez (165-SG-2000) drilled three three-pointers for 11 points, while Laura Rivas (171-SF-1999) added nine off the bench and Adriana Rivas (176-SG-1996) orchestrated with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in a full 40 minutes.
San Salvador's rebounding superiority proved decisive they outboarded Salvadorenas 52-42 with 14 offensive rebounds generating critical second chances. Their 72 percent free-throw shooting (18-of-25) compared to Salvadorenas' 50 percent (10-of-20) provided the margin in a game where neither side shot well from the field (San Salvador 34.4%, Salvadorenas 32.9%).
For Salvadorenas, Gabriela Escobar's 28-point effort was heroic but lonely. Daniela Escobar (167-SG-2007) added 10 and Silvia Vega (176-C-2003) grabbed 10 rebounds, but the supporting cast managed just 25 combined points on poor shooting. Captain Gabriela Alvarado (177-PG-1997) was limited to four points on 1-of-6 shooting.