Here are the players who made the biggest impact on April 21 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Fran Louie Yu TGR PG 35 PTS | 5 AST | 3 STL | 55.5 FPS
The back-up guard was averaging just 5.9 points in his first seven games of the tournament but he was on a completely different level today offensively. He caught fire from long range, knocking down five threes and going a perfect 2-for-2 from the four-point line to finish as the game’s leading scorer while also setting a new career high in scoring.
Phoenix Cardena Shackelford MBK SG 18 PTS | 14 REB | 8 AST | 54.8 FPS
Through seven conference games, Shackelford has been an excellent off-the-bench contributor for the Knights. He’s been a little off as a scorer recently, but he found some rhythm today, shooting 4-for-7 from three-point range while also leading both teams in rebounds and finishing second in the game in assists.
Jaylen Rashawn Johnson ROS C 12 PTS | 19 REB | 7 AST | 45.3 FPS
Obviously, it was a brutal offensive showing for the big man, who finished with a conference-low in scoring. He struggled mightily from the field, particularly from three, where he converted just 1-of-9 attempts while also posting a game-high in turnovers. Still, he’s been highly productive throughout the tournament and should be able to rebound quickly in the upcoming games.
Jenning Leung MBK SG 32 PTS | 3 REB | 2 AST | 40.6 FPS
Despite the decline in his recent production, Leung has remained one of the better scorers in the league, averaging 17.3 points per game in the conference. Today, however, he was on another level, shooting 7-for-10 from three to finish as the team’s leading scorer and also record his best scoring performance of the tournament.
Earl Michael Gilmore TGR C 11 PTS | 9 REB | 3 STL | 36.8 FPS
Gilmore has established himself as one of the top imports in the league with averages of 27.6 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals across seven games in the tournament. But he was far less productive today, posting conference-lows in both scoring and rebounding.
Damian Chongqui MBK PG 23 PTS | 9 AST | 1 STL | 35.9 FPS
The only negative for the guard today was his turnovers, as he led all players with six. But, he continues to deliver at an elite level on the offensive end, posting his fourth 20-point outing of the conference while also providing solid playmaking. Through eight games in the tournament, he’s averaging 20.4 points on 48% shooting from two, along with 8.0 assists.
Adrian Clarence Nocum ROS SG 20 PTS | 5 REB | 3 STL | 34.5 FPS
Nocum stepped up on the scoring end today, hitting a perfect 3-for-3 from deep to record his third 20-point game of the conference. This is a big improvement after he struggled early in the tournament, shooting just 6-for-27 across seven games.
Ricci Paolo Rivero PHX SF 11 PTS | 7 REB | 4 AST | 33.4 FPS
In the opening weeks of the conference, Rivero had been on fire offensively, averaging 22.0 points over five games. But he’s hit a wall in recent games, totaling just 22 points in his last two outings. Today was no better, as he shot just 1-of-11 from long range.
Cade Flores TGR PF 8 PTS | 10 REB | 3 BLK | 29.0 FPS
Flores stepped up on both ends today and finished with his best game of the conference. He’s been a vital part of the team’s rotation this tournament and he should have a few more performances like this in the games ahead.
Christian Tyler Tio PHX PG 16 PTS | 3 REB | 5 AST | 27.1 FPS
The guard has picked up his play lately, posting back-to-back double-digit scoring and five-assist outings. While inconsistency remains an issue, he’s still clearly capable of these types of performances.
Ramon Cao MBK C 10 PTS | 7 REB | 4 AST | 26.4 FPS
The former Eastern big man has been on a strong run over his last four games, averaging 16.0 points and 8.25 rebounds. Since the team has been short-handed recently, Cao should continue to play a key role and maintain this level of production in the coming games.
Evan Heinrich Nelle PHX PG 12 PTS | 2 REB | 8 AST | 26.4 FPS
Nelle made his presence felt today, leading all players in assists while also finishing with his fifth double-digit scoring game of the tournament.
Jerick John Balanza TGR SF 20 PTS | 4 REB | 2 AST | 25.8 FPS
The veteran stepped up in a big way today, shooting efficiently from all ranges and finishing as the team’s second-leading scorer. This was just the first time in this conference that he reached the double-digit mark, but he definitely has the caliber to produce on the scoring end.
Gian Mamuyac ROS SF 11 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL | 19.6 FPS
In his first seven games of the tournament, Mamuyac averaged 12.1 points on 54.2% shooting from inside the arc, along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals. While he wasn’t at the same level today, he was still effective on offense, finishing in double figures on 4-for-7 shooting from two.
Jhonard Clarito ROS PF 9 PTS | 6 REB | 1 STL | 18.2 FPS
The forward has been playing really well in the conference, providing solid impact in multiple areas. Aside from his last game, where he played limited minutes, he is averaging 10.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists over seven games in the tournament.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Caelan Todd Tiongson ROS PF 5 PTS | 2 REB | 1 BLK | 10.9 FPS
Tiongson couldn’t find his rhythm on offense, shooting just 1-for-7 from the field and finishing with a subpar scoring performance for the fifth time in the tournament.
