Liga MB Round 16 (Regular Season): Santa Ana edge Salvadorenos by one point

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game of round 16 in the Liga MB took place in San Salvador. This derby game ended with only one-point home defeat of 6th ranked Salvadorenos (7-10) to eighth ranked Santa Ana (5-10) 94-93 on Monday evening. Strangely Salvadorenos outrebounded Santa Ana 50-34 including a 18-3 advantage in offensive rebounds. Santa Ana looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) fired a double-double by scoring 24 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. The other American import forward Sam Dorissaint (198-1994, college: B&S Buffalo) chipped in 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Santa Ana's coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Colombian Michael Parra (201-1995) produced 21 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for lost side. Santa Ana maintains eighth position with 5-10 record. Salvadorenos lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Brujos. Santa Ana are looking forward to face bottom-ranked Ahuachapan (#10) on the road in the next round. Salvadorenos will play against Independiente (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Another interesting game was a derby match between two teams from San Salvador: San Salvador (#3) and Salvadorenos (#6). Salvadorenos were defeated at home 64-79 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. Worth to mention a great performance of power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Victor Carattini contributed with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Forward Marcos Menjivar (190-2004) replied with 15 points and 6 assists for Salvadorenos. Salvadorenos' coach rotated ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. San Salvador have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 13-4 record having just two points less than leader A.Lobos. Salvadorenos lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Brujos. San Salvador will play against Santa Tecla (#9) at home in the next round where they are favorite. Salvadorenos will play against Independiente and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Leader A.Lobos delivered the fifteenth victory on Saturday night. This time they crushed 8th ranked Santa Ana (5-10) 95-54. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a quality performance of Sean Scott who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists. At the losing side Sam Dorissaint responded with 17 points and 6 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. A.Lobos (15-2) have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Santa Ana at the other side keeps the eighth place with ten games lost. A.Lobos will meet at home San Salvador (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Santa Ana will play against Ahuachapan (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Rest of the games of round 16 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Metapan crushed Brujos in a road game 117-82. Santa Tecla was beaten by Cojute at home 94-106. Bottom-ranked Ahuachapan was destroyed by Metapan on the opponent's court 112-71.



A.Lobos - Santa Ana 95-54

Leader A.Lobos delivered the fifteenth victory on Saturday night. This time they crushed 8th ranked Santa Ana (5-10) 95-54. A.Lobos dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Santa Ana's 22 and made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Santa Ana 57-27 including a 16-2 advantage in offensive rebounds. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a quality performance of forward Sean Scott (190-1997, college: Pfeiffer) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists and center Marc Montavious (206-1990, college: Georgetown, KY) who added 14 points and 15 rebounds during the contest. Five A.Lobos players scored in double figures. At the losing side forward Sam Dorissaint (198-1994, college: B&S Buffalo) responded with 17 points and 6 rebounds and Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) scored 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. A.Lobos (15-2) have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Santa Ana at the other side keeps the eighth place with ten games lost. A.Lobos will meet at home San Salvador (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Santa Ana will play against Ahuachapan (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
A.Lobos: S.Scott 23+15reb+4ast, M.Montavious 14+15reb+1ast, F.Carcamo 13+1reb+1ast, J.Savoy 10+5reb+2ast, O.Grande 10+6reb, M.Melendez 7+1reb+2ast
Santa Ana: S.Dorissaint 17+6reb+2ast, T.Simmons 13+7reb+5ast, E.Guevara 9+3reb+2ast, C.Arias 7+6reb, I.Ramos 6+1reb, J.Araujo 2+2reb+2ast

Brujos - Metapan 82-117

There was no surprise in Izalco where 7th ranked Brujos (7-10) were crushed by third ranked Metapan (13-3) 117-82 on Saturday. Metapan dominated down low during the game scoring 74 of its points in the paint compared to Brujos' 44 and made 16-of-21 free shots (76.2 percent) during the game. Metapan looked well-organized offensively handing out 37 assists comparing to just 13 passes made by Brujos' players. Worth to mention a great performance of Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!), 12 rebounds and 6 assists (on 13-of-16 shooting from the field) and Puerto Rican forward Xavier Zambrana (193-1991) who added 27 points and 4 assists (made all of his seven free throws) during the contest. Four Metapan players scored in double figures. At the losing side American forward Allon Johnson (201, college: Dalton St.) responded with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 14 rebounds and his fellow American import forward Isaac Maldonado (201-1997, college: ENMU) scored 21 points (perfect from downtown making all five shots). Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Metapan moved-up to second place. Loser Brujos dropped to the sixth position with ten games lost. They share it with Salvadorenos. Metapan will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Brujos will play against Cojute (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Metapan: Y.Cubillas 35+12reb+6ast, X.Zambrana 27+4reb+4ast, E.Contreras 14+5reb+3ast, L.Hernandez 11+3reb+13ast, K.Pineda 8+7reb+3ast, A.Regalado 8+4reb
Brujos: I.Maldonado 21+3reb+1ast, A.Johnson 20+14reb+1ast, M.Millien 17+3reb+4ast, L.Mendez 7+1reb+1ast, W.Chinchilla 6+1reb, A.Ortega 5+1reb

Salvadorenos - San Salvador 64-79

Another interesting game was a derby match between two teams from San Salvador: San Salvador (#3) and Salvadorenos (#6). Salvadorenos were defeated at home 64-79 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. San Salvador forced 20 Salvadorenos turnovers. Worth to mention a great performance of power forward Brayan Garcia (194-1998) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Puerto Rican guard Victor Carattini (185-1992, college: PR-Bayamon) contributed with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Four San Salvador players scored in double figures. Forward Marcos Menjivar (190-2004) replied with 15 points and 6 assists and Spanish guard Lazaro Gonzalez (190-1993) added 19 points in the effort for Salvadorenos. Salvadorenos' coach rotated ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. San Salvador have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 13-4 record having just two points less than leader A.Lobos. Salvadorenos lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Brujos. San Salvador will play against Santa Tecla (#9) at home in the next round where they are favorite. Salvadorenos will play against Independiente and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
San Salvador: B.Garcia 21+12reb+7ast, V.Carattini 17+11reb+2ast, R.Miranda 14+3ast, O.Perez 14+8reb+3ast, L.Valle 9+4reb+1ast, K.Saravia 2+1reb+1ast
Salvadorenos: L.Gonzalez 19+3reb+1ast, M.Menjivar 15+3reb+6ast, I.Traore 10+9reb, M.Parra 7+14reb, D.Rivera 5+1reb+1ast, A.Tobar 4+2reb+1ast

Santa Tecla - Cojute 94-106

No shocking result in a game when fourth ranked Cojute (11-6) defeated on the road 9th ranked Santa Tecla (2-14) 106-94 on Sunday. Cojute looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Jeremy Agosto (177-1997) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 16 assists and forward Pablo Figueroa (186-2000) who added 22 points during the contest. At the losing side Honduran Francisco Forbs (198-1999) responded with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals and forward Alejandro Barahona (189-1999) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points, 8 rebounds and 17 assists. Four Cojute and five Santa Tecla players scored in double figures. Cojute have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 11-6 record. Santa Tecla lost ninth consecutive game. They keep the ninth place with 14 games lost. Cojute will meet Brujos (#6) in the next round. Santa Tecla will play against San Salvador and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Cojute: J.Agosto 35+6reb+16ast, P.Figueroa 22+4reb+1ast, A.Avalos 16+7reb, W.Merino 10+7reb+1ast, B.Martinez 6+1reb+1ast, T.Carter 6+3reb+1ast
Santa Tecla: F.Forbs 27+12reb+4ast, L.Portal 14+1reb+1ast, E.Cornejo 14+4reb+4ast, F.Fuentes 13+3reb+2ast, E.Barrientos 11+2reb+1ast, A.Barahona 11+8reb+17ast

Metapan - Ahuachapan 112-71

Very expected game when 10th ranked Ahuachapan (1-15) was rolled over on the road by third ranked Metapan (13-3) 112-71 on Monday. Metapan dominated down low during the game scoring 88 of its points in the paint compared to Ahuachapan's 54. They outrebounded Ahuachapan 54-36 including a 38-27 advantage in defensive rebounds. Metapan looked well-organized offensively handing out 33 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by Ahuachapan's players. Worth to mention a great performance of Puerto Rican forward Xavier Zambrana (193-1991) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 27 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists and Cuban forward Yoel Cubillas (204-1994) who added 24 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest. Four Metapan players scored in double figures. At the losing side American guard EJ Blackwell (193, college: Lourdes) responded with a double-double by scoring 28 points and 10 rebounds and his fellow American import point guard Darius Daniels (178-1997) scored 21 points. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Metapan moved-up to second place. Ahuachapan lost fourth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 15 games lost. Metapan will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ahuachapan will play against Santa Ana (#8) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Metapan: X.Zambrana 27+13reb+5ast, Y.Cubillas 24+12reb+6ast, M.Tejada 15+3reb+2ast, E.Contreras 13+2reb+4ast, K.Pineda 11+9reb, L.Hernandez 9+5reb+10ast
Ahuachapan: E.Blackwell 28+10reb+3ast, D.Daniels 21+4reb+2ast, F.Asprilla 10+11reb, C.Castro 4+1reb, E.Linares 3, R.Aguilar 2+3reb+2ast

Salvadorenos - Santa Ana 93-94

The most exciting game of round 16 in the Liga MB took place in San Salvador. This derby game ended with only one-point home defeat of 6th ranked Salvadorenos (7-10) to eighth ranked Santa Ana (5-10) 94-93 on Monday evening. Strangely Salvadorenos outrebounded Santa Ana 50-34 including a 18-3 advantage in offensive rebounds. Santa Ana looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American Timothy Simmons (195-1992, college: DBU) fired a double-double by scoring 24 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. The other American import forward Sam Dorissaint (198-1994, college: B&S Buffalo) chipped in a triple-double by scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Dorissaint is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Santa Ana's coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Colombian Michael Parra (201-1995) produced 21 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists and forward Marcos Menjivar (190-2004) added 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Five Santa Ana and four Salvadorenos players scored in double figures. Santa Ana maintains eighth position with 5-10 record. Salvadorenos lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Brujos. Santa Ana are looking forward to face bottom-ranked Ahuachapan (#10) on the road in the next round. Salvadorenos will play against Independiente (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Santa Ana: J.Araujo 27+1reb+1ast, T.Simmons 24+13reb+7ast, S.Dorissaint 16+10reb+10ast, I.Ramos 14+3reb+6ast, E.Guevara 11+2reb+3ast, C.Arias 2
Salvadorenos: M.Menjivar 22+8reb+4ast, L.Gonzalez 21+7reb+1ast, M.Parra 21+9reb+5ast, I.Traore 12+12reb+1ast, A.Tobar 9+7reb+4ast, E.Rodriguez 3+2reb+3ast