The San Miguel Beermen stormed past Meralco Bolts, 108-97, in a statement win over the reigning champs. Meanwhile, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel had to fend off a pesky Converge FiberXers team before sealing an 88-80 win on June 20.
Top Performers of the Day:
June Mar Fajardo (SMB C) 23 PTS | 15 REB | 4 BLK | 51.0 FPS
June Mar continues to be a force in the paint, recording a double-double in 11 of 12 games in the conference. His scoring was sharp, but his 11-of-13 shooting from the line makes an even bigger difference. Defensively, he’s just as impressive, finishing with a conference-high in blocks.
Christopher Elijah Newsome (MER SG) 23 PTS | 11 REB | 6 AST | 46.2 FPS
Newsome struggled offensively but found ways to contribute, sinking 10 of his 13 free throws to notch his fourth 20-point performance this conference. He scored at least 20 points in his three meetings against SMB this season. He was also a huge factor in the boards, finishing with his best rebounding game in the conference.
Japeth Paul Aguilar (GIN C) 19 PTS | 13 REB | 3 BLK | 45.6 FPS
Japeth was a huge factor on both ends, recording 13 points and 3 blocks in the first half alone to help put his team in control. He leads the team in scoring with an average of 18.3 points and in rebounding with 8.3 per game this conference.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos (GIN PG) 21 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 41.0 FPS
RJ came off the bench and provided a huge offensive boost, leading all scorers in the game. He also made a significant impact in other areas, particularly on defense, recording his second straight game with 3 steals. While he’s clearly capable of big games like this, he hasn’t been consistent in the conference.
Justine Baltazar (CON PF) 13 PTS | 8 REB | 3 BLK | 39.1 FPS
Baltazar put together two subpar scoring performances and was also less impactful on the boards in the game, failing to reach double figures in rebounds for the first time this conference. But he made up for it with his defense, totaling 10 stocks over his last two games.
Christopher Clark Banchero (MER PG) 32 PTS | 5 REB | 2 AST | 39.0 FPS
Banchero came up big in the second half, pouring in 20 points to help push his team back into the game. While he didn’t make any three-pointers, he was on fire from two, shooting 10-for-14 finishing with his career best scoring performance.
John Rodney Brondial (SMB PF) 13 PTS | 12 REB | 1 BLK | 34.9 FPS
Brondial controlled the interior, tallying his third double-double in conference. His energy was unmatched, pulling down 8 offensive rebounds. While he doesn’t always put up strong scoring numbers, he’s been a steady contributor in both rebounding and steals.
Justin Arana (CON C) 15 PTS | 7 REB | 2 STL | 33.4 FPS
Justin had a difficult time offensively in his previous game against the Gin Kings, shooting just 2-for-11 and finishing with 9 points—his lowest scoring performance of the conference. He struggled again in this game but still managed to notch his 19th double-digit scoring performance of the season.
Celedonio Trollano (SMB SF) 19 PTS | 6 REB | 1 STL | 28.2 FPS
Trollano got off to a strong start, scoring 8 points in the first quarter alone. He’s been a highly reliable scoring option lately, putting up at least 15 points in 4 of his last 5 games.
Biggest Disappointment of the Day:
Alec June Stockton (CON SG) 12 PTS | 5 REB | 2 AST
Stockton struggled badly from inside the arc over his last two games, going just 2-for-19. He was even worse against Ginebra this conference, shooting 0-for-15 across two matchups. Despite that, he still had a strong season overall, averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
