Here are the players who made the biggest impact on July 24 and the stats to prove it.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Zavier Lucero MAG SF 20 PTS | 11 REB | 2 BLK | 47.2 FPS
Things hadn’t been easy for the forward of late. Limited to just 8 points in their loss to Blackwater, he carried those struggles in the opening half where he managed just three points. But he found his groove when it mattered most, dominating the second half to finish as the top local scorer. He was even more impressive in other areas, pulling down seven offensive rebounds and tallying a game-high in stocks.
Antonio Kurtis Hester MER PF 28 PTS | 10 REB | 2 STL | 47.0 FPS
The Meralco import has been superb to start the conference, shooting efficiently from both the two-point area and the free-throw line. But he took it a step further today, converting 7-for-12 on two-pointers and 11-for-12 from the line to lead all scorers while also setting a new conference high.
Kenyon Joseph Buffen MAG SF 26 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 44.9 FPS
The Magnolia import got off to a strong start against Meralco, leading the charge with 22 first-half points while knocking down 3-of-4 from three. He couldn’t sustain that form for the rest of the game, but he still made a significant impact, finishing as the game’s leader in both rebounds and assists.
Riley Grigsby GIN SF 18 PTS | 8 REB | 5 AST | 41.1 FPS
Grigsby wasn’t as dominant on offense as he was in his debut, but his scoring upside was still on full display after hitting two 3-pointers and a 4-pointer. He also showed off his versatility, making a strong impact all over the stat sheet.
Japeth Paul Aguilar GIN C 11 PTS | 9 REB | 5 BLK | 40.3 FPS
The former MVP turned back the clock against Blackwater, dominating on both ends of the floor. While he may not consistently deliver at this level like he once did, he remains fully capable of taking over a game when needed.
Kentrell Debarus Barkley BWB SF 26 PTS | 10 REB | 1 AST | 39.5 FPS
The Blackwater import continues to operate at an elite level offensively, shooting 10-for-15 from two-point range for his fourth-straight 25-point performance. He’s just as effective on the boards, collecting five offensive rebounds and leading all players in total rebounds.
Sedrick Barefield BWB SG 16 PTS | 5 AST | 4 STL | 39.3 FPS
On the whole, this was a strong performance from the star guard. He made a positive impact across the secondary categories and was especially impressive on the defensive end, recording a season-high in steals. Offensively, however, he struggled to score efficiently. Three-point shooting has been a major problem for him this conference, as he’s made just 10 of his 39 attempts.
Stephen Jeffrey Holt GIN SG 19 PTS | 7 REB | 5 AST | 32.9 FPS
The shooting guard stepped up in a big way against Blackwater, knocking down five threes and finishing with a team-high in points. Holt has been an important piece of the team since last conference, though performances like this haven’t come often.
Regile Kent Ilagan BWB PG 10 PTS | 2 AST | 6 STL | 29.4 FPS
Unlike in the first three games of the conference, Ilagan was unable to deliver on the offensive end, attempting just eight shots and turning the ball over four times. He did make his mark on defense, though Ginebra ultimately overwhelmed them from start to finish.
Ian Paul Sangalang MAG C 16 PTS | 4 REB | 2 BLK | 29.3 FPS
Sangalang continues to shine offensively, posting his third-consecutive double-digit scoring game. The veteran center has been nearly automatic on two-pointers this conference, converting 18 of his 22 attempts.
Louis Raphael Cu GIN SF 11 PTS | 4 REB | 7 AST | 22.3 FPS
Scoreless in his conference debut, Cu turned in a solid bounce back performance today, knocking down three triples while also making his presence felt in other areas. Last conference, he emerged as a key asset for Ginebra with his three-point shooting.
Kenmark Cariño GIN C 11 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 21.4 FPS
Cariño provided a massive spark in just 13 minutes, making his presence felt on both ends. His biggest contribution came during a dominant third-quarter stretch where he poured in nine points. This was a big step forward for the big man after missing significant time from an ACL injury.
Dalph Adem Panopio BWB PG 15 PTS | 2 REB | 3 AST | 20.9 FPS
It was a mixed performance from the rookie guard. Though he was perfect from two, going 6-of-6, he couldn’t find his rhythm from deep after missing all five of his three-point attempts. Still, he delivered offensively and has scored in double figures for every game so far this conference.
Norman Aaron Black MER SG 10 PTS | 1 REB | 3 AST | 13.7 FPS
Black provided the team with a big spark offensively, finishing with his first double-digit scoring game of the conference. While he continued to struggle from deep, going 0-for-5 over his first three games, he made up for it on two-pointers, hitting a perfect 5-for-5.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Crispin John Cansino MER SF 12 PTS | 4 REB | 13.8 FPS
Though he finished with another double-digit scoring performance, he was far from his best today, shooting just 4-for-11 from the field while committing three turnovers and making little impact overall.
