Here are the players who made the biggest impact on May 8 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Jaylen Rashawn Johnson ROS C 31 PTS | 11 REB | 7 AST | 59.7 FPS
Compared to how he started the conference, Johnson had been less effective in recent games. He was back to his usual standard today, however, shooting 7-of-10 from two and adding three triples for his third 30-point game of the tournament. Beyond his scoring, he has consistently contributed at a high level all conference long.
Christian Manaytay ROS C 18 PTS | 8 REB | 4 AST 40.6 FPS
The center stepped up in a huge way today, putting up a dominant performance inside the paint. He was almost perfect from two-point range, converting 8-of-9 while also posting a career-best in rebounds. He is just one of the team’s many promising rookies this season.
Caelan Todd Tiongson ROS PF 18 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST | 36.2 FPS
Tiongson had some struggles lately, particularly on offense and he carried some of that today, shooting 0-for-6 from three. On two-pointers, however, he came through by converting 7-of-9 to set a new conference-high. While the forward has established himself as one of the team’s top contributors, he hasn’t been consistent enough so far in this conference.
Leonard Santillan ROS PF 14 PTS | 12 REB | 1 STL | 32.9 FPS
Though Santillan didn’t have the best night offensively, shooting just 1-for-5 from long range, he still continued his upward trend, averaging 10.3 points over his last three games while also pairing that with his conference-high output in rebounds.
Brandon Matthew Bates MER C 11 PTS | 12 REB | 1 STL | 31.9 FPS
This is certainly the type of performance they will need from him in the playoffs. He stood out in the paint, leading all players in rebounds while also shooting 5-for-7 from two-point range for a conference-best showing.
Michael John Malonzo ROS PF 7 PTS | 9 REB | 1 STL | 23.8 FPS
Throughout the conference, Malonzo has become one of the team’s more important players through the many ways he helps the team win. That was on full display today again as he finished with a new conference-high in the board after grabbing five offensive rebounds.
Vince Petdeo Cuajao ROS SG 8 PTS | 2 AST | 2 STL | 22.4 FPS
It wasn’t his most efficient game, but Cuajao further proved his scoring ability with his performance today. He’s had a few of these games this conference and should continue to see more in the playoffs, provided the minutes are there.
Crispin John Cansino MER SF 13 PTS | 4 REB | 1 BLK | 22.3 FPS
Despite seeing fewer minutes in his last three outings, Cansino has remained impactful on both ends of the floor. He was especially sharp from the three-point area in this game, connecting on 3-of-4 attempts.
Joshua Andrei Caracut ROS PG 8 PTS | 3 REB | 6 AST | 20.6 FPS
Offensively, it’s a bit of a contrast for Caracut as he shot 4-for-5 on two-pointers but missed all three of his attempts from distance. Still, it was one of his better performances this conference and this should give him some momentum heading into the playoffs.
Norman Aaron Black MER SG 8 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 20.1 FPS
Coming off a conference-high scoring night against Blackwater, Black did the opposite today, going scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting. But he made up for it in other areas, finishing second on the team in both rebounds and assists.
Christopher Clark Banchero MER PG 10 PTS | 4 AST | 1 STL | 19.2 FPS
This was the third straight game that Banchero has delivered strong numbers at his position—a big positive after providing subpar contributions in the previous weeks.
Kier John Quinto MER SF 11 PTS | 2 AST | 1 STL | 17.2 FPS
Since averaging just five points in a four-game stretch last month, the forward has turned it around, scoring in double figures for the third straight game.
Christopher Elijah Newsome MER SG 14 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST | 16.9 FPS
Newsome was brilliant on the scoring end, shooting efficiently from all levels today, and finishing with his sixth-straight double-digit scoring game but he was almost unable to contribute anything in other categories.
Vincent Joshua David ROS SG 5 PTS | 2 REB | 7 AST | 15.9 FPS
Though he’s not much of a scoring threat, David has compensated by making positive contributions in the secondary categories, and he elevated his game further today, posting a conference- and team-high in assists.
Luis Villegas ROS C 6 PTS | 1 3PM | 6 REB | 13.2 FPS
Regardless of some inefficiency, this has still been a successful return for the big man after working his way back from a major injury. Through 12 games, he has hit a total of 11 threes while also contributing on the boards, averaging 3.2 rebounds per game.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Jerrick Vincent Ahanmisi TER SG 6 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST | 18.8 FPS
The shooting guard finished the eliminations on a low note, having a really difficult time on offense as he converted just 2-of-14 from the field and scored fewer than 10 points for the first time this tournament. Other than a few subpar shooting performances, it has otherwise been an outstanding conference for him.
