Liga MB Round 9 (Regular Season): Salvadorenos defeat Fantasmas in the closest game of the week

Liga MB is at the halfway of the Regular Season and there are still another 9 rounds left. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Seventh-ranked Fantasmas (2-7) gave a tough game to third ranked Salvadorenos (7-2) in San Vicente on Tuesday. The visitors from San Salvador managed to secure only three-point victory 87-84. However their fans expected much easier game. Salvadorenos dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Fantasmas' 44. Power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 15 rebounds for the winners and Dominican center Rodolfo Espinal (208-1998) chipped in 17 points and 12 rebounds. Salvadorenos' coach Sergio Rouco used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. The best for the losing side was American point guard Darius Daniels (178-1997) with 38 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Salvadorenos have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Santa Ana and Metapan. Fantasmas lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Brujos and A.Lobos. Salvadorenos is looking forward to face league's second-placed Santa Ana at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Fantasmas will play against Cojute (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Liga MB top team - San Salvador (8-1) added another victory to their record. This time they beat ninth ranked Brujos (2-7) in Izalco 68-62. American guard Jeremy Agosto (177-1997) nailed 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winning side and Marc Montavious accounted for 11 points, 23 rebounds and 7 blocks. Center Teodoro Romero (202-1985) came up with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 22 rebounds and 4 blocks for Brujos in the defeat. Brujos' coach Anibal Mendez rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. San Salvador maintains first place with 8-1 record. Brujos lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the seventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Fantasmas and A.Lobos. San Salvador will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Brujos will play at home against Metapan (#3) and hope to get back on the winning track.
The game in Santa Tecla was also quite interesting. Fourth ranked Santa Ana (7-2) played at the court of 5th ranked Santa Tecla (5-4). Santa Ana managed to secure a 7-point victory 82-75 on Wednesday. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Santa Tecla. The best player for the winners was Abdulbasit Ajia who had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. At the other side the best for losing team was Andravious Smith who recorded a double-double by scoring 29 points and 14 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Santa Ana have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Metapan and Salvadorenos. Defending champion Santa Tecla keeps the fifth position with four games lost. Santa Ana will meet Salvadorenos (#4) in the next round. Santa Tecla will have a break next round.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 9: bottom-ranked Santiagueno lost to Salvadorenos on the opponent's court 70-79. Santa Ana outscored Fantasmas in a home game 93-71. Cojute recorded a loss to Metapan on the road 83-71. Metapan defeated A.Lobos on its own court 78-67. Cojute beat Santiagueno in Cojutepeque 75-63.



Salvadorenos - Santiagueno 79-70

Very expected game in San Salvador where 10th ranked Santiagueno (1-8) was defeated by third ranked Salvadorenos (7-2) 79-70 on Sunday. Salvadorenos forced 20 Santiagueno turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 16 passes made by Santiagueno's players. The best player for the winners was Emanuel Rodriguez who scored 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) chipped in a triple-double by scoring 13 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. Salvadorenos' coach Sergio Rouco used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Puerto Rican guard Angel Oquendo (183, college: NHTI) who recorded 26 points and American-Colombian center Freddy Asprilla (206-1988, college: Canisius) added 12 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists respectively. Salvadorenos have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Santa Ana and Metapan. Santiagueno lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Salvadorenos will meet at home league's second-placed Santa Ana in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Santiagueno will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Santiagueno: A.Oquendo 26+3reb+3ast, X.Eaglin 16+7reb+5ast, F.Asprilla 12+16reb+4ast, G.Andres 6+1reb+1ast, A.Melvin 5+2reb, G.Mauricio 5+1reb
Salvadorenos: R.Emanuel 25+5reb+6ast, B.Garcia 13+10reb+10ast, S.Andres 12+6reb+2ast, M.Diego 12, E.Rodolfo 8+5reb, R.Erick 7+3reb+3ast

Santa Ana - Fantasmas 93-71

Rather predictable result when fourth ranked Santa Ana (7-2) smashed at home 7th ranked Fantasmas (2-7) 93-71 on Sunday. Santa Ana looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists comparing to just 11 passes made by Fantasmas' players. The best player for the winners was American Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) who had a triple-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Forward Abdulbasit Ajia (200-1999) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American point guard Darius Daniels (178-1997) who recorded 22 points and 9 rebounds and the other American import Nick Moore (198-1991, college: Alliance) added 17 points and 14 rebounds respectively. Four Fantasmas players scored in double figures. Santa Ana have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Metapan and Salvadorenos. Fantasmas lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Brujos and A.Lobos. Santa Ana will meet Salvadorenos (#4) in the next round. Fantasmas will play against Cojute and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Fantasmas: D.Darius 22+9reb+1ast, N.Moore 17+14reb, C.Sorto 10+3reb+5ast, K.Mejia 10+6reb+2ast, A.Victor 4+2reb, E.Abullarade 3+1reb+2ast
Santa Ana: V.Lee 37+1reb+2ast, T.Simmons 22+10reb+12ast, A.Abdulbasit 18+17reb+6ast, T.Gabriel 4+1reb, J.Orellana 4+1reb, M.Melvin 3

Metapan - Cojute 83-71

Not a big story in a game when 6th ranked Cojute (4-5) was defeated on the road by third ranked Metapan (7-2) 83-71 on Sunday. Metapan forced 20 Cojute turnovers. Strangely Cojute outrebounded Metapan 50-38 including 37 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) who had a double-double by scoring 32 points and 15 rebounds. Leonardo Hernandez (174-1994) chipped in 15 points and 5 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Dominican forward Frankyn Batista (198-1999, college: Pace) who recorded a double-double by scoring 28 points and 17 rebounds and Aldahir Avalos added 11 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists respectively. Metapan have a solid series of four victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Santa Ana and Salvadorenos. Cojute at the other side keeps the sixth position with five games lost. Metapan will meet Brujos (#9) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Cojute will play against Fantasmas in San Vicente and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Cojute: F.Batista 28+17reb+3ast, A.Aldahir 11+7reb+6ast, P.Figueroa 9+5reb+3ast, T.Carter 8+13reb, S.Kevin 8+2reb, G.Jefferson 4+3reb
Metapan: Y.Cubillas 32+15reb+2ast, L.Hernandez 15+4reb+5ast, L.Saravia 10+3reb+8ast, E.Ishman 8+13reb, M.Tejada 7+1reb+1ast, A.Joe 6+1reb+1ast

Brujos - San Salvador 62-68

Liga MB top team - San Salvador (8-1) added another victory to their record. This time they beat ninth ranked Brujos (2-7) in Izalco 68-62. San Salvador forced 20 Brujos turnovers and had a 44-33 advantage in offensive rebounds. San Salvador brought some defensive toughness making 15 blocks. American guard Jeremy Agosto (177-1997) nailed 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winning side and his fellow American import center Marc Montavious (206-1990, college: Georgetown, KY) accounted for 11 points, 23 rebounds and 7 blocks. Four San Salvador players scored in double figures. Center Teodoro Romero (202-1985) came up with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 22 rebounds and 4 blocks and Alfonso Tobar (-2007) added 5 points and 8 rebounds respectively for Brujos in the defeat. Brujos' coach Anibal Mendez rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. San Salvador maintains first place with 8-1 record. Brujos lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the seventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Fantasmas and A.Lobos. San Salvador will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Brujos will play at home against Metapan (#3) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Brujos: T.Romero 13+22reb, J.Crespin 11+2reb+1ast, S.Roberto 11+1reb, P.Andres 8+1reb+1ast, O.Angelo 6+3reb+4ast, T.Alfonso 5+8reb+2ast
San Salvador: A.Jeremy 22+8reb+5ast, B.Alejandro 17+5reb+3ast, L.Valle 11+6reb+3ast, M.Montavious 11+23reb, M.Ramos 7+2reb, N.Diego 0

Fantasmas - Salvadorenos 84-87

Seventh-ranked Fantasmas (2-7) gave a tough game to third ranked Salvadorenos (7-2) in San Vicente on Tuesday. The visitors from San Salvador managed to secure only three-point victory 87-84. However their fans expected much easier game. Salvadorenos dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Fantasmas' 44. Power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 15 rebounds for the winners and Dominican center Rodolfo Espinal (208-1998) chipped in 17 points and 12 rebounds. Four Salvadorenos players scored in double figures. Salvadorenos' coach Sergio Rouco used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. The best for the losing side was American point guard Darius Daniels (178-1997) with 38 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 4 assists and the other American import Nick Moore (198-1991, college: Alliance) scored 9 points and 16 rebounds. Salvadorenos have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Santa Ana and Metapan. Fantasmas lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Brujos and A.Lobos. Salvadorenos is looking forward to face league's second-placed Santa Ana at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Fantasmas will play against Cojute (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Fantasmas: D.Darius 38+8reb+4ast, C.Sorto 17+6reb+2ast, N.Moore 9+16reb+2ast, M.Francisco 7+3reb+1ast, A.Victor 7+2reb+1ast, K.Mejia 5+4reb
Salvadorenos: B.Garcia 20+15reb+2ast, M.Marco 17+3reb+2ast, E.Rodolfo 17+12reb+1ast, R.Emanuel 16+7reb+1ast, S.Andres 9+6reb, R.Erick 6+2reb+1ast

Metapan - A.Lobos 78-67

Everything went according to plan when third ranked Metapan (7-2) beat at home 8th ranked A.Lobos (2-7) 78-67 on Tuesday. Metapan made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. Metapan outrebounded A.Lobos 44-33 including a 32-21 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) who had a double-double by scoring 26 points and 13 rebounds. American swingman Eddie Ishman (197-1986, college: Miles) chipped in a double-double by scoring 16 points and 16 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was Venezuelan-Colombian center Michael Hinestroza (210-1990, college: UALR) who recorded a double-double by scoring 21 points and 17 rebounds and Guatemalan point guard David Vasquez (-1992, college: Umpqua CC) added 26 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Metapan have a solid series of four victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Santa Ana and Salvadorenos. A.Lobos lost fifth consecutive game. They dropped to the seventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Brujos and Fantasmas. Metapan will meet Brujos (#9) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. A.Lobos will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
A.Lobos: D.Vasquez 26+6reb+2ast, M.Hinestroza 21+17reb, S.Scott 9+4reb+3ast, R.Erick 5+2reb+1ast, I.Sandoval 4+1reb, M.Gonzalez 2+2reb+4ast
Metapan: Y.Cubillas 26+13reb, E.Ishman 16+16reb+3ast, A.Joe 12+1reb, P.Kevin 9+4reb, L.Saravia 7+5reb+5ast, R.Miranda 4+3reb

Santiagueno - Cojute 63-75

There was no surprise in Usultan where 10th ranked Santiagueno (1-8) was defeated by sixth ranked Cojute (4-5) 75-63 on Wednesday. The best player for the winners was Dominican forward Frankyn Batista (198-1999, college: Pace) who had a double-double by scoring 32 points and 30 rebounds. American center Troidell Carter (206-1991, college: Slippery Rock) chipped in 19 points. Batista is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas. At the other side the best for losing team was American Xavier Eaglin (201-1997, college: PVAMU) who recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points and 15 rebounds and American-Colombian center Freddy Asprilla (206-1988, college: Canisius) added 11 points and 21 rebounds respectively. Cojute maintains sixth place with 4-5 record. Santiagueno lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Cojute will meet Fantasmas (#8) in the next round. Santiagueno will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Santiagueno: X.Eaglin 24+15reb+2ast, A.Oquendo 15+4reb+5ast, F.Asprilla 11+21reb+3ast, A.Melvin 5+5reb+4ast, A.Esperanza 3+2reb, S.Esperanza 3+3reb
Cojute: F.Batista 32+30reb+3ast, T.Carter 19+4reb+1ast, P.Figueroa 13+6reb+4ast, A.Aldahir 7+6reb+2ast, S.Kevin 2+5reb+4ast, G.Jefferson 2+3reb+3ast

Santa Tecla - Santa Ana 75-82

The game in Santa Tecla was also quite interesting. Fourth ranked Santa Ana (7-2) played at the court of 5th ranked Santa Tecla (5-4). Santa Ana managed to secure a 7-point victory 82-75 on Wednesday. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Santa Tecla. Santa Ana forced 25 Santa Tecla turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was forward Abdulbasit Ajia (200-1999) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. American Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) chipped in 25 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American swingman Andravious Smith (198-1995, college: Tougaloo) who recorded a double-double by scoring 29 points and 14 rebounds and Luis Portal (188-1986) added 19 points respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Santa Ana have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Metapan and Salvadorenos. Defending champion Santa Tecla keeps the fifth position with four games lost. Santa Ana will meet Salvadorenos (#4) in the next round. Santa Tecla will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Santa Tecla: A.Smith 29+14reb+2ast, L.Portal 19+2reb+1ast, I.Ariel 10+4reb+2ast, E.Contreras 7+3reb, F.Fernando 3+3reb+1ast, V.Diego 3+5reb+2ast
Santa Ana: V.Lee 26+4reb+3ast, T.Simmons 25+7reb+8ast, A.Abdulbasit 21+16reb+5ast, G.Salvador 3+1reb+4ast, M.Melvin 3+1reb+2ast, Q.Daniel 2+1reb