Here are the players who made the biggest impact on July 15 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Justin Arana CON C 31 PTS | 10 REB | 3 AST
The big man was a dominant force inside the paint, converting 14-of-19 attempts from the field to record a new season high and the second 30-point game of his career. If Arana can maintain this level of play, Converge should be a legitimate threat in this conference.
Justine Baltazar CON PF 16 PTS | 14 REB | 2 BLK
To put it simply, Baltazar was outstanding against Terrafirma. He finished with a full stat line, shot efficiently from all levels, and recorded zero turnovers. But he was most impressive on the boards, leading all players in rebounding. This also marked his 18th double-digit rebounding outing of the season.
Juan Gerardo Gomez De Liaño CON PG 19 PTS | 2 AST | 1 STL
Limited to just two points in their win against Titan, Juan got some of his groove back today, finishing second on the team in scoring. However, he continues to struggle from three-point range, going 1-for-9. He was also far from his usual level in other areas, posting one of his worst outputs in rebounds and assists this season.
Michael Jeffrey Garcia CON PG 12 PTS | 3 REB | 2 AST
Through the first two games of the conference, Garcia has provided the team with a nice spark offensively. He’s been highly effective from two-point range, converting 10-of-12 attempts so far.
Justin Anthony Strings TER PF 40 PTS | 11 REB | 5 AST
Strings got off to a hot start, scoring 17 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the field in the first quarter before finishing with a new conference-high output. He also continued to dominate the boards, recording at least 10 rebounds in each of his first three games.
Juan Miguel Tiongson TER PG 17 PTS | 3 REB | 3 AST
Tiongson continues to have an elite run with Terrafirma, posting his third consecutive double-digit scoring game. He was unable to deliver that level of production during the previous conference with San Miguel, where he played 12 games.
Maverick Ahanmisi TER PG 7 REB | 12 AST | 1 STL
Offensively, the veteran guard had a night to forget, shooting a dismal 2-for-10 from the field while turning the ball over four times. But he made up for it in other areas, posting a team- and season-high in assists while recording at least six rebounds for the third consecutive game.
Brandon Matthew Bates MER C 14 PTS | 15 REB
The big man was a major factor against Phoenix, posting a dominant double-double performance. He was nearly unstoppable in the paint, converting 6-of-7 attempts while also collecting eight offensive rebounds. This marked his third double-double outing of the season.
Crispin John Cansino MER SF 18 PTS | 3 REB | 3 STL
Cansino took charge offensively and finished as the team’s top scorer. He was effective from two-point range, connecting on 5-of-9 attempts while also going a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. He also got off to a strong start in the Commissioner’s Cup, averaging 16 points during the elimination round.
Allein Gail Maliksi MER SF 16 PTS | 2 REB | 3 STL
Maliksi came up big on both ends. Offensively, he sparked their second-quarter comeback, scoring 12 points which includes hitting three three-pointers. Defensively, he also made his mark, finishing as one of the team’s leaders in steals. It was an encouraging performance after he spent most of the previous conference sidelined with injuries.
Clifford Marion Hodge MER PF 13 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK
Hodge provided solid numbers in both scoring and rebounding against Phoenix. In the previous conference, he reached the double-digit mark in scoring seven times and recorded at least 5 rebounds 11 times.
Jason Alexander Brickman MER PG 6 PTS | 6 AST | 3 STL
The rookie guard had a tough time on the offensive end, shooting just 3-of-14 from the field and missing all six of his long-range attempts. Still, he made up for it by leading the team in assists. He has been a steady playmaker since the Commissioner’s Cup, where he recorded at least five assists in 13 games.
Ricci Paolo Rivero PHX SF 20 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST
Despite some shooting struggles and turnovers, Rivero still got the job done, finishing as the team’s top local scorer while also posting quality numbers in the secondary categories. In the previous conference, he averaged 19.5 points with 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 11 games.
Kenneth James Tuffin PHX SF 17 PTS | 7 REB | 1 STL
The wing emerged as one of the team’s top scorers against Meralco, knocking down 3-of-5 from three while also going 6-for-10 from the line, including the game-winning free throws, to record his seventh game with at least 15 points this season. He was just as impressive on the boards, finishing with a team-high rebounding total.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Jalen Andreas Hudson CON SF 2 PTS | 8 REB | 4 AST
This was a dismal offensive performance from Hudson. The Converge import never found his rhythm, finishing with just one made field goal on 14 attempts. His three-point shooting was even worse, as he’s now 0-for-12 through two games in the conference. Converge will definitely need him to turn it around if they want to keep their strong start going.
