Osos de La Salle Reign On: 'Lechugas' Seal Fifth Straight Arequipa Title in Three-Game Thriller

The dynasty rolls on. Osos de La Salle have once again been crowned champions of the Liga Masculina de Basketball de Arequipa, outlasting Club Rayo in a gripping three-game final series to claim their fifth consecutive title across the region's last five championships.
It was anything but straightforward. After taking the opening final 79-68, the "Lechugas" as the green-clad side is affectionately known were pushed to the brink when Club Rayo struck back to win the second game 82-76 and force a decider. That set the stage for a third and final showdown at the Coliseo Arequipa that ranked among the most hotly contested the league has seen.
The deciding game began on a knife's edge. Club Rayo edged the opening quarter 22-21, and the two sides remained locked together through a first half that ended with Rayo still narrowly ahead, 41-40. But the third quarter proved decisive. Osos de La Salle found another level, seizing control to lead 63-58 heading into the final ten minutes, and from there they held their nerve to close out a 79-76 victory and spark the title celebrations.
For a club that has come to define basketball excellence in Arequipa, the win was another chapter in a period of sustained dominance built on hard work, discipline and the backing of a passionate fanbase. Fittingly, the players dedicated the championship to the 250 children who play across the club's lower divisions a reminder that the senior success is the visible tip of a much broader grassroots project.
The triumph capped a banner stretch for the Osos program. The club's women's side has enjoyed its own success in 2026, and the men's title reinforced the sense that, in Arequipa at least, the road to a championship still runs squarely through La Salle. Five titles in five campaigns is no accident it is the mark of a genuine dynasty, and one showing no signs of loosening its grip.