Liga MB Round 5 of Regular Season

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

First defeat of league's leader Salvadorenos (4-1) against leader San Salvador (5-0) 82-73 was the most important game of the last round. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Salvadorenos. It was a key game for the top position in the league. San Salvador forced 22 Salvadorenos turnovers. Strangely Salvadorenos outrebounded San Salvador 50-27 including a 32-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. American guard Jeremy Agosto (177-1997) orchestrated the victory by scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Luis Valle (190-1997) contributed with 20 points for the winners. Power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) answered with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists for Salvadorenos. Salvadorenos' coach Sergio Rouco rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Undefeated San Salvador have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Salvadorenos at the other side dropped to the second place with one game lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by San Salvador. Salvadorenos will play next round against strong Metapan trying to make it back to the top of the standings. San Salvador will try to continue on its current victory against seventh ranked Cojute in Cojutepeque.
Another interesting game for Santa Ana (3-2) which played in Cojutepeque against Cojute (2-3). Fourth ranked Santa Ana had an easy win 79-62. Forward Abdulbasit Ajia (200-1999) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and Timothy Simmons chipped in 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Santa Ana's coach Melvin Marroquin allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American center Troidell Carter (206-1991, college: Slippery Rock) responded with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Santa Ana moved-up to third place, which they share with Metapan. Cojute lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the fifth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Santa Ana will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cojute will play at home against the league's leader San Salvador (#1) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Very important is a home loss of third ranked Metapan (3-2) against fourth ranked Santa Ana (3-2) on Tuesday night. Host Metapan was defeated by Santa Ana in Metapan 82-68. Timothy Simmons nailed a double-double by scoring 25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for the winning side. Yoel Cubillas came up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 18 rebounds for Metapan in the defeat. Santa Ana moved-up to third place, which they share with defeated Metapan. Santa Ana will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Metapan will play against the league's second-placed Salvadorenos in San Salvador and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 5: Fantasmas were smashed by Metapan on the road 102-62. Brujos won against Santiagueno on its own court 76-70. Cojute managed to outperform A.Lobos in Cojutepeque 73-62. Brujos managed to beat Santa Tecla at home 80-75.
The most impressive performance of 5th round was 24 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks by Teodoro Romero of Brujos.



Metapan - Fantasmas 102-62

No shocking result in a game when third ranked Metapan (3-2) crushed at home 8th ranked Fantasmas (1-3) 102-62 on Sunday. Metapan dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Fantasmas' 28. They outrebounded Fantasmas 47-29 including a 13-1 advantage in offensive rebounds. Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) nailed a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side and American point guard Leangelo Saravia (183-2001, college: Oakland City) accounted for 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Metapan players scored in double figures. American point guard Darius Daniels (178-1997) came up with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds and point guard Luis Hernandez (175-2002) added 17 points and 4 assists respectively for Fantasmas in the defeat. Metapan maintains third place with 3-2 record having just two points less than leader San Salvador, which they share with Santa Ana. Loser Fantasmas dropped to the ninth position with three games lost. Metapan will meet league's second-placed Salvadorenos in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Fantasmas will play against A.Lobos (#6) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Metapan: Y.Cubillas 26+12reb+2ast, L.Saravia 16+7reb+5ast, E.Ishman 15+10reb+2ast, R.Miranda 13+4reb+5ast, A.Joe 11+3reb+2ast, A.Regalado 7+1reb
Fantasmas: L.Hernandez 17+3reb+4ast, D.Darius 14+10reb+2ast, N.Moore 10+7reb+1ast, C.Sorto 8+3reb+2ast, E.Abullarade 6+4reb+3ast, A.Emilio 6

Brujos - Santiagueno 76-70

The game between closely ranked teams ended with bottom-ranked Santiagueno's (0-4) road loss to ninth ranked Brujos (2-3) in Izalco 70-76 on Sunday. Brujos outrebounded Santiagueno 50-36 including a 42-25 advantage in defensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Brujos made 10 blocks. Center Teodoro Romero (202-1985) nailed a double-double by scoring 16 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks for the winning side and Julio Crespin (184-1997) accounted for 16 points. Brujos' coach Anibal Mendez used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American-Colombian center Freddy Asprilla (206-1988, college: Canisius) came up with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 16 rebounds and American Xavier Eaglin (201-1997, college: PVAMU) added 19 points and 4 blocks respectively for Santiagueno in the defeat. Four Santiagueno players scored in double figures. Brujos moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Santiagueno lost their fourth game in a row. They still close the standings with four games lost. Brujos will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Santiagueno will play against Santa Tecla (#5) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Brujos: J.Crespin 16+4reb+2ast, T.Romero 16+17reb+1ast, T.Alfonso 12+7reb+3ast, F.Angulo 9+1reb+1ast, G.Galdamez 9+4reb+2ast, M.Michael 4
Santiagueno: A.Oquendo 19+3reb, X.Eaglin 19+4reb+3ast, F.Asprilla 12+16reb, S.Esperanza 10+2reb+3ast, B.Castellon 5+4reb+5ast, A.Melvin 3+2ast

Cojute - Santa Ana 62-79

Another interesting game for Santa Ana (3-2) which played in Cojutepeque against Cojute (2-3). Fourth ranked Santa Ana had an easy win 79-62. Santa Ana forced 19 Cojute turnovers and outrebounded them 44-33 including 34 on the defensive glass. Forward Abdulbasit Ajia (200-1999) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and American Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) chipped in 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Santa Ana's coach Melvin Marroquin allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American center Troidell Carter (206-1991, college: Slippery Rock) responded with 24 points and 7 rebounds and forward Pablo Figueroa (186-2000) scored 14 points and 9 rebounds. Santa Ana moved-up to third place, which they share with Metapan. Cojute lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the fifth position with three games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Santa Ana will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cojute will play at home against the league's leader San Salvador (#1) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Santa Ana: A.Abdulbasit 27+18reb+4ast, T.Simmons 22+7reb+6ast, L.Fernando 9+3reb+1ast, A.Luis 6+1reb, H.Romario 4+4reb, G.Salvador 4+3reb+1ast
Cojute: T.Carter 24+7reb+2ast, P.Figueroa 14+9reb+3ast, S.Kevin 8+1reb+2ast, G.Jefferson 8+5reb+4ast, A.Aldahir 5+4reb+3ast, R.David 2+4reb+1ast

A.Lobos - Cojute 62-73

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when seventh ranked Cojute (2-3) won against on the road 6th ranked A.Lobos (2-3) 73-62 on Monday. Cojute made 16-of-20 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American center Troidell Carter (206-1991, college: Slippery Rock) nailed a double-double by scoring 22 points and 17 rebounds for the winning side and forward Pablo Figueroa (186-2000) accounted for 16 points and 5 rebounds. Cojute's coach Jose Rivas used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Venezuelan-Colombian center Michael Hinestroza (210-1990, college: UALR) came up with a double-double by scoring 11 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks and Guatemalan point guard David Vasquez (-1992, college: Umpqua CC) added 13 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists respectively for A.Lobos in the defeat. Four A.Lobos players scored in double figures. Cojute moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 3 other teams including defeated A.Lobos. Cojute will meet at home league's leader San Salvador in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. A.Lobos will play against Fantasmas (#9) in San Vicente and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Cojute: T.Carter 22+17reb+2ast, P.Figueroa 16+5reb+3ast, G.Jefferson 11+4reb+2ast, A.Aldahir 9+5reb+9ast, R.David 6+2reb, R.Melendez 4+3reb+2ast
A.Lobos: S.Scott 19+4reb+1ast, D.Vasquez 13+10reb+6ast, M.Hinestroza 11+16reb+2ast, I.Sandoval 11+4reb+1ast, F.Carcamo 6+2reb+4ast, J.Huezo 2+2reb

San Salvador - Salvadorenos 82-73

First defeat of league's leader Salvadorenos (4-1) against leader San Salvador (5-0) 82-73 was the most important game of the last round. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Salvadorenos. It was a key game for the top position in the league. San Salvador forced 22 Salvadorenos turnovers. Strangely Salvadorenos outrebounded San Salvador 50-27 including a 32-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. American guard Jeremy Agosto (177-1997) orchestrated the victory by scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Luis Valle (190-1997) contributed with 20 points for the winners. Power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) answered with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists and Emanuel Rodriguez added 20 points in the effort for Salvadorenos. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Salvadorenos' coach Sergio Rouco rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. San Salvador have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Salvadorenos at the other side dropped to the second place with one game lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by San Salvador. Salvadorenos will play next round against strong Metapan trying to make it back to the top of the standings. San Salvador will try to continue on its current victory against seventh ranked Cojute in Cojutepeque.
Top scorers:
San Salvador: A.Jeremy 20+6reb+7ast, L.Valle 20+3reb+2ast, M.Montavious 15+6reb+2ast, B.Alejandro 14+6reb+2ast, J.Avila 4, M.Ramos 4+2reb+4ast
Salvadorenos: R.Emanuel 20+4reb+3ast, B.Garcia 20+17reb+4ast, S.Andres 14+8reb+2ast, M.Marco 14+7reb+4ast, E.Rodolfo 4+9reb+1ast, E.Paiz 1+2reb+1ast

Metapan - Santa Ana 68-82

Very important is a home loss of third ranked Metapan (3-2) against fourth ranked Santa Ana (3-2) on Tuesday night. Host Metapan was defeated by Santa Ana in Metapan 82-68. Santa Ana dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to Metapan's 30. Strangely Metapan outrebounded Santa Ana 51-33 including a 19-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. American Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) nailed a double-double by scoring 25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for the winning side and Lee Vasquez (176-1991) accounted for 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) came up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 18 rebounds and point guard Raul Miranda (175-1996) added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for Metapan in the defeat. Santa Ana moved-up to third place, which they share with defeated Metapan. Santa Ana will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Metapan will play against the league's second-placed Salvadorenos in San Salvador and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Santa Ana: T.Simmons 25+12reb+4ast, V.Lee 24+5reb+4ast, A.Abdulbasit 22+8reb+1ast, M.Melvin 3+2reb+1ast, T.Armando 2+1reb, L.Fernando 2+1reb
Metapan: Y.Cubillas 25+18reb+1ast, R.Miranda 10+5reb+4ast, L.Saravia 8+2reb, M.Tejada 8+3reb, E.Ishman 7+11reb+1ast, A.Joe 4+2reb+3ast

Brujos - Santa Tecla 80-75

There was a minor upset when higher ranked Santa Tecla (2-3) lost to ninth ranked Brujos (2-3) in Izalco 75-80 on Tuesday. Brujos forced 21 Santa Tecla turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Brujos made 18 blocks. Center Teodoro Romero (202-1985) nailed a double-double by scoring 24 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks for the winning side and Winston Andrews accounted for 15 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Brujos' coach Anibal Mendez used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. American swingman Andravious Smith (198-1995, college: Tougaloo) came up with a double-double by scoring 32 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists and Dominican center Cristian Lora-Oliver (208-2000, college: Hillsborough) added 15 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks respectively for Santa Tecla in the defeat. Brujos moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 3 other teams including defeated Santa Tecla. Brujos will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Santa Tecla will play against Santiagueno (#10) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Brujos: T.Romero 24+15reb+3ast, O.Angelo 16+6reb+1ast, A.Winston 15+7reb+11ast, J.Gerardo 6+2reb+2ast, T.Alfonso 6+2reb+1ast, G.Galdamez 6+5reb+2ast
Santa Tecla: A.Smith 32+10reb+4ast, L.Portal 18+5reb+5ast, C.Lora-Oliver 15+17reb, A.Gerardo 4+5reb+1ast, F.Fernando 3+4reb+6ast, I.Ariel 2+6reb+2ast