Liga MB Round 7: Aguila keep a leadership position

There are only two more rounds left in the Regular Season in Liga MB. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game had a very big importance for third-ranked Aguila as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Aguila smashed their biggest opponent Quezaltepeque in San Miguel 83-58. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Quezaltepeque. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Aguila dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Quezaltepeque's 36. Aguila forced 22 Quezaltepeque turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Aguila made 7 blocks. American forward Brenden Van Dyke (203-1998, college: Emporia St.) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points and 15 rebounds for the winners. His fellow American import point guard Marquise Mosley (175-1997, college: Biola, CA) chipped in 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. Alberto Liriano (-1998) produced 23 points and 5 rebounds for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Aguila have a solid series of four victories in a row. As mentioned above they are at the top of the standings, which they share with San Salvador. Quezaltepeque at the other side dropped to the third place with two games lost. They share the position with Metapan. Quezaltepeque will play next round against Nejapa trying to get back on the winning streak. Aguila will try to continue on its current victory against second ranked San Salvador on the road.
Bottom-ranked Chalchuapa (0-8) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 105-80 loss to fifth ranked Cojute (4-4) in Cojutepeque. Worth to mention a great performance of Lee Vasquez (176-1991) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 37 points (!!!), 6 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals. Andravious Smith contributed with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. American forward David Daniels (196-1998, college: Spring Hill) answered with a double-double by scoring 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists for Chalchuapa. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Despite that victory Cojute went down to sixth position due to points difference, which they share with Nejapa. Chalchuapa at the other side still closes the standings with eight games lost. Cojute will play against Santiagueno (#8) in Usultan in the next round. Chalchuapa will play at home against Brujos and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Bottom-ranked Chalchuapa (0-8) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 99-89 loss to fifth ranked Santa Tecla (6-3) in Chalchuapa on Sunday evening. It was a great evening for Ezequiel Perez who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. At the losing side Ameer Biddle responded with a double-double by scoring 29 points and 13 rebounds. Santa Tecla maintains fifth place with 6-3 record. Loser Chalchuapa still closes the standings with eight games lost. Santa Tecla will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Chalchuapa will play against Brujos (#10) and looks forward to get finally their first victory.

Other games of round 7 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Metapan defeated Santiagueno in a road game 90-78. Santa Ana was beaten by Santiagueno at home 95-104. Nejapa lost to Metapan on the opponent's court 68-83.
The best stats of 7th round was 22 points and 14 rebounds by Cameron Lard of Santa Tecla.

Santiagueno - Metapan 78-90

There was no surprise in Usultan where 9th ranked Santiagueno (2-6) was defeated by fourth ranked Metapan (6-2) 90-78 on Saturday. Metapan looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. It was a great evening for Puerto Rican Xavier Zambrana (193-1991) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. American-Puerto Rican forward Tyler Polo (201-1987, college: CS Los Angeles) helped adding 17 points and 13 rebounds. Metapan's coach Augusto Gomez used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side American-Colombian center Freddy Asprilla (206-1988, college: Canisius) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 22 rebounds and 4 assists and Santiago Esperanza (185-1993) scored 23 points and 6 rebounds. Four Santiagueno players scored in double figures. Metapan moved-up to third place, which they share with Quezaltepeque. Santiagueno lost fifth consecutive game. They dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. They share it with Santa Ana. Metapan will meet Santa Ana (#9) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Santiagueno will play against Cojute in Cojutepeque and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Santiagueno: S.Esperanza 23+6reb, R.Abraham 19+2reb+5ast, J.Joshua 14+10reb+3ast, F.Asprilla 14+22reb+4ast, A.Esperanza 4+3reb, M.Mario 2+1ast
Metapan: X.Zambrana 19+16reb+6ast, T.Polo 17+13reb+1ast, D.Reese 13+13reb+4ast, E.Contreras 10, R.Miranda 7+1ast, L.Hernandez 6+3reb+2ast

Aguila - Quezaltepeque 83-58

The game had a very big importance for third-ranked Aguila as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Aguila smashed their biggest opponent Quezaltepeque in San Miguel 83-58. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Quezaltepeque. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Aguila dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Quezaltepeque's 36. Aguila forced 22 Quezaltepeque turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Aguila made 7 blocks. American forward Brenden Van Dyke (203-1998, college: Emporia St.) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points and 15 rebounds for the winners. His fellow American import point guard Marquise Mosley (175-1997, college: Biola, CA) chipped in 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. Five Aguila players scored in double figures. Alberto Liriano (-1998) produced 23 points and 5 rebounds and Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) added 2 points and 17 rebounds respectively for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Aguila have a solid series of four victories in a row. As mentioned above they are at the top of the standings, which they share with San Salvador. Quezaltepeque at the other side dropped to the third place with two games lost. They share the position with Metapan. Quezaltepeque will play next round against Nejapa trying to get back on the winning streak. Aguila will try to continue on its current victory against second ranked San Salvador on the road.
Top scorers:
Quezaltepeque: L.Alberto 23+5reb, M.Montavious 13+7reb, D.Jaramillo 10+2reb+1ast, B.Douglas 7+4reb+1ast, Y.Cubillas 2+17reb+3ast, V.Diego 2+2reb
Aguila: B.Van Dyke 21+15reb, P.Rivas 17+5reb+2ast, M.Mosley 14+5reb+7ast, E.Rodriguez 13+9ast, B.Garcia 10+6reb+1ast, N.Najeen 8+1reb+1ast

Cojute - Chalchuapa 105-80

Bottom-ranked Chalchuapa (0-8) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 105-80 loss to fifth ranked Cojute (4-4) in Cojutepeque. They dominated down low during the game scoring 78 of its points in the paint compared to Chalchuapa's 52. Cojute forced 22 Chalchuapa turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 34 assists comparing to just 18 passes made by Chalchuapa's players. Cojute brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of Lee Vasquez (176-1991) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 37 points (!!!), 6 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals. American swingman Andravious Smith (196-1995, college: Tougaloo) contributed with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. American forward David Daniels (196-1998, college: Spring Hill) answered with a double-double by scoring 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and Jamaican-American forward Devin Thompson (199-1980, college: St.Peter's) added 17 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Chalchuapa. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Despite that victory Cojute went down to sixth position due to points difference, which they share with Nejapa. Chalchuapa at the other side still closes the standings with eight games lost. Cojute will play against Santiagueno (#8) in Usultan in the next round. Chalchuapa will play at home against Brujos and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Chalchuapa: D.Daniels 28+10reb+5ast, D.Thompson 17+9reb+3ast, A.Biddle 15+6reb+3ast, R.Guevara 8+1reb+1ast, L.Fernando 4, H.Eleazar 4+7reb+4ast
Cojute: V.Lee 37+6reb+10ast, A.Smith 30+7reb+7ast, D.Downey 11+12reb+2ast, J.Flores 5+1reb+2ast, R.Melendez 4+1reb, C.Sorto 2+8reb+3ast

Santa Ana - Santiagueno 95-104

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when ninth ranked Santiagueno (2-6) defeated on the road 8th ranked Santa Ana (2-6) 104-95 on Sunday. It was a great evening for Puerto Rican point guard Ryann Abraham (182-1987, college: App State) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. American-Colombian center Freddy Asprilla (206-1988, college: Canisius) helped adding 17 points and 15 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). At the losing side American swingman Shian Bradshaw (194-1995, college: Wake Tech CC) responded with a double-double by scoring 32 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists and the other American import point guard Armani Chaney (178-1997, college: Tennessee St.) scored 32 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Santiagueno and four Santa Ana players scored in double figures. Santiagueno moved-up to eighth place, which they share with defeated Santa Ana. Santiagueno will meet higher ranked Cojute (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Santa Ana will play against Metapan and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Santa Ana: A.Chaney 32+8reb+5ast, S.Bradshaw 32+15reb+4ast, C.Benjamin 15+2reb+4ast, J.Shumpert 13+5reb+1ast, I.Sandoval 3, Z.Gerardo 0
Santiagueno: R.Abraham 23+5reb+8ast, J.Joshua 20+8reb+1ast, S.Esperanza 18+2reb+1ast, F.Asprilla 17+15reb+2ast, A.Alex 13+3reb+2ast, A.Esperanza 9+2reb+3ast

Metapan - Nejapa 83-68

Rather expected game when 6th ranked Nejapa (4-4) was defeated on the road by fourth ranked Metapan (6-2) 83-68 on Sunday. Metapan dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Nejapa's 40. They outrebounded Nejapa 44-30 including a 34-23 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a great evening for American-Puerto Rican forward Derek Reese (203-1993, college: Tennessee) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 18 rebounds. Puerto Rican Xavier Zambrana (193-1991) helped adding 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Metapan players scored in double figures. At the losing side American forward Leon Williams (201, college: TIU) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds and the other American import guard Kylon Higgins (190-1993, college: Arkansas Tech) scored 14 points and 9 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Metapan moved-up to third place, which they share with Quezaltepeque. Loser Nejapa keeps the sixth position with four games lost. They share it with Cojute. Metapan will meet Santa Ana (#9) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Nejapa will play against Quezaltepeque and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Nejapa: B.O'Brien 21+3reb+1ast, L.Williams 19+12reb+3ast, K.Higgins 14+9reb+3ast, M.Justin 7+1reb, U.Saul 4+1reb, M.Adrian 3+1reb
Metapan: X.Zambrana 22+7reb+4ast, D.Reese 17+18reb+2ast, T.Polo 14+7reb+4ast, L.Hernandez 10+1reb+1ast, E.Contreras 7+5reb+2ast, R.Miranda 4+1reb

Chalchuapa - Santa Tecla 89-99

Bottom-ranked Chalchuapa (0-8) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 99-89 loss to fifth ranked Santa Tecla (6-3) in Chalchuapa on Sunday evening. They dominated down low during the game scoring 74 of its points in the paint compared to Chalchuapa's 46. Santa Tecla looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 12 passes made by Chalchuapa's players. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Santa Tecla made 8 blocks. It was a great evening for Dominican Ezequiel Perez (201) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. American Cameron Lard (206-1997, college: Iowa St.) helped adding 22 points and 14 rebounds. Four Santa Tecla players scored in double figures. At the losing side American swingman Ameer Biddle (193, college: PS Wilkes Barre) responded with a double-double by scoring 29 points and 13 rebounds and the other American import forward David Daniels (196-1998, college: Spring Hill) scored 26 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Santa Tecla maintains fifth place with 6-3 record. Loser Chalchuapa still closes the standings with eight games lost. Santa Tecla will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Chalchuapa will play against Brujos (#10) and looks forward to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Chalchuapa: A.Biddle 29+13reb+1ast, D.Daniels 26+5reb+4ast, D.Thompson 17+12reb+4ast, R.Guevara 9+1ast, D.Valle Fernando 4, H.Eleazar 4+2reb
Santa Tecla: C.Blake 27+1reb+4ast, P.Ezequiel 27+12reb+3ast, C.Lard 22+14reb+2ast, A.Arias 12+6reb+10ast, M.Lahud 7+2reb+4ast, C.Arias 4+8reb+2ast



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