LNBP Round 30 (Regular Season): Halc.Rojos edge Astros by three points

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game of round 30 in the LNBP took place in Veracruz. This derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of second-best Astros (16-7) to twelfth ranked Halcones Rojos (10-14) 98-95 on Sunday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the guest team. Halc.Rojos made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was guard Deshawndre Washington (201, college: NM State) who scored 40 points (!!!), 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Davon Jefferson (203-1986, college: USC) chipped in 10 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Corey Sanders (188-1997, college: Rutgers) who recorded 17 points and 5 rebounds. Halc.Rojos moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Mineros and Freseras. Astros at the other side keep the second position with seven games lost. They share it with Halc.Xalapa. Halc.Rojos is looking forward to face higher ranked Santos (#8) in San Luis Potosi in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Astros will have a break next round.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Halcones UV Xalapa (16-7) against fifth ranked Panteras (16-8) on Sunday night. Visiting Halcones UV Xalapa was defeated by Panteras in a tough game in Aguascalientes 92-100. It was a good game for the former international Fabian Jaimes (198-1992) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 11 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). Josh Perkins contributed with 14 points and 7 assists for the winners. Serbian power forward Nikola Jovanovic (211-1994, college: USC) replied with 21 points and 8 rebounds for Halc.Xalapa. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Panteras moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Diablos. Halc.Xalapa lost third consecutive game. They keep the second position with seven games lost. They share it with Astros. Panteras will play against Soles (#9) in Mexicali in the next round where they are favorite. Halc.Xalapa will have a break next round.
Bottom-ranked Abejas managed to get a fourth victory, breaking the two-game losing streak on Sunday night. This time they won against eleventh-ranked Mineros in Zacatecas 83-76. Torren Jones had a double-double by scoring 14 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was Jorge Pacheco with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Abejas maintains sixteenth position with 4-19 record. Loser Mineros dropped to the tenth place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Halc.Rojos and Freseras. Abejas will meet at home league's leader Fuerza Regia in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Mineros will have a break next round.

Rest of the games of round 30 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Diablos defeated Lobos BUAP in a road game 91-81. Fuerza Regia smashed Santos at home 88-67. Soles won against Plateros on the opponent's court 89-85. Freseras unfortunately lost to Dorados in a home game 68-76. El Calor managed to beat Correcaminos on the road 90-79.
The best stats of 30th round was 21 points and 9 rebounds by Egidijus Mockevicius of El Calor.



Lobos BUAP - Diablos 81-91

There was no surprise in Puebla where 14th ranked Lobos BUAP (6-18) was defeated by fourth ranked Diablos (16-8) 91-81 on Sunday. International swingman Gael Bonilla (204-2003) scored 13 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the former international center Joshua Ibarra (211-1995, college: HCU) chipped in 12 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Diablos' coach used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was Nigerian-American power forward Maxie Esho (206-1991, college: UMass) with 13 points and 9 rebounds and American center Julian Gamble (208-1989, college: Miami, FL, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 12 points and 8 rebounds. Diablos have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 16-8 record, which they share with Panteras. Loser Lobos BUAP keeps the fourteenth place with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Lobos BUAP: D.Washington 15+5reb+2ast, M.Esho 13+9reb+2ast, J.Gamble 12+8reb+3ast, G.Vazquez 10+1reb+1ast, C.Eyenga 9+1reb+3ast, E.Gonzalez 8+2ast
Diablos: G.Bonilla 13+7reb+1ast, A.Harrison 13+1reb+1ast, J.Ibarra 12+5reb, M.Smith 10+1reb+2ast, L.Gonzalez 9+2reb+2ast, M.Tavares 9+1reb

Fuerza Regia - Santos 88-67

No shocking result in a game in Monterrey where first ranked Fuerza Regia (20-4) smashed 8th ranked Santos (12-12) 88-67 on Sunday. Fuerza Regia made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. American guard Jalen Adaway (196-1998, college: St.Bonaventure) scored 16 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and naturalized American point guard Jhonathan Dunn (193-1998, college: S.Nazarene) chipped in 20 points during the contest. Four Fuerza Regia players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American forward Johnny Hughes III (201-1997, college: UIW) with 9 points and 4 assists and American-Puerto Rican point guard Tjader Fernandez (178-1994) scored 9 points and 4 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Fuerza Regia have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 20-4 record. Loser Santos keep the eighth place with 12 games lost. They share the position with Soles. Fuerza Regia will meet bottom-ranked Abejas (#16) in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Santos will play against Halc.Rojos (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Santos: T.Larrier 11+2reb, J.Cruz 11+1reb, J.Hughes III 9+3reb+4ast, T.Fernandez 9+2reb+4ast, L.Bearden 9+1reb+1ast, A.Demir 7+4reb+1ast
Fuerza Regia: J.Dunn 20+2reb+2ast, J.Adaway 16+9reb+2ast, K.Ray 12+3ast, J.Grant 11+5reb, W.Langston 10+1reb, L.Faggiano 7+7ast

Plateros - Soles 85-89

There was a minor upset in Fresnillo where 6th ranked Plateros (14-10) were defeated by ninth ranked Soles (12-12) 89-85 on Sunday. Soles looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The game was also dominated by American players. Daniel Hamilton (201-1995, college: UConn) scored 11 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists to lead the charge for the winners and forward Ryan Pearson (198-1990, college: GMU, agency: Inception Sports) chipped in 21 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was guard Tyrone White (201-1990, college: CSUB) with 20 points and guard Michael Bryson (193-1994, college: UCSB) scored 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Soles moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Santos. Loser Plateros keep the sixth position with ten games lost. They share it with Dorados. Soles will meet at home higher ranked Panteras (#5) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Plateros will play against El Calor in Cancun and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Plateros: T.White 20+1reb+2ast, A.Matias 13+3reb+2ast, J.Anderson 12+1reb+3ast, F.Vazquez 11+2reb+5ast, C.Harvey 10+4reb+3ast, M.Bryson 8+7reb+5ast
Soles: R.Pearson 21+3reb+3ast, L.Martinez 17+3reb+1ast, K.Faried 12+8reb+1ast, D.Hamilton 11+7reb+9ast, E.Thomas 9+2reb+1ast, J.Webster 7+3reb+4ast

Freseras - Dorados 68-76

Rather predictable result in Irapuato where seventh ranked Dorados (14-10) beat 10th ranked Freseras (10-14) 76-68 on Sunday. Dorados dominated down low during the game scoring 48 of its points in the paint compared to Freseras' 22. Dorados looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American point guard Kamau Stokes (183-1995, college: Kansas St.) scored 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Argentinian forward Franco Giorgetti (203-1992) chipped in 21 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Stokes is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. The best for the losing side was American guard Jamari Wheeler (185-1997, college: Ohio St.) with 20 points and 7 rebounds and his fellow American import forward Tyree Corbett (201-2000, college: Denver) scored 8 points and 10 rebounds. Dorados moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Plateros. Loser Freseras keep the tenth position with 14 games lost. They share it with Halc.Rojos and Mineros. Dorados will meet at home Correcaminos (#15) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Freseras will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Freseras: J.Wheeler 20+7reb+3ast, A.Lillard 11+3reb+1ast, P.Leal-Cruz 10+4reb, T.Corbett 8+10reb+3ast, J.Ivey 7+6reb+5ast, T.Gadsden 6+2reb
Dorados: K.Stokes 21+9reb+6ast, F.Giorgetti 21+8reb+2ast, C.Mitchell 12+9reb+3ast, D.Conger 6+8reb+1ast, D.Cubillan 5+2ast, D.Soto 4+2reb+1ast

Halc.Rojos - Astros 98-95

The most exciting game of round 30 in the LNBP took place in Veracruz. This derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of second-best Astros (16-7) to twelfth ranked Halcones Rojos (10-14) 98-95 on Sunday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the guest team. Halc.Rojos made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was guard Deshawndre Washington (201, college: NM State) who scored 40 points (!!!), 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Davon Jefferson (203-1986, college: USC) chipped in 10 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Corey Sanders (188-1997, college: Rutgers) who recorded 17 points and 5 rebounds and forward Jordan Loveridge (198-1993, college: Utah) added 16 points and 4 assists respectively. Four Halc.Rojos and five Astros players scored in double figures. Halc.Rojos moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Mineros and Freseras. Astros at the other side keep the second position with seven games lost. They share it with Halc.Xalapa. Halc.Rojos is looking forward to face higher ranked Santos (#8) in San Luis Potosi in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Astros will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Astros: C.Sanders 17+5reb+3ast, J.Loveridge 16+2reb+4ast, T.Leslie 13+1reb, T.McCallum 12+2reb, R.Mendoza 11+2reb+5ast, M.McKinney 10+5reb+2ast
Halc.Rojos: D.Washington 40+9reb+6ast, E.Ayala 15, I.Gandia-Rosa 10+2reb+2ast, D.Jefferson 10+5reb, I.Diogu 8+3reb, K.Horton 7+6reb+2ast

Mineros - Abejas 76-83

Bottom-ranked Abejas managed to get a fourth victory, breaking the two-game losing streak on Sunday night. This time they won against eleventh-ranked Mineros in Zacatecas 83-76. Abejas made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. Abejas outrebounded Mineros 41-20 including a 29-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. American power forward Torren Jones (206-1994, college: William Penn) had a double-double by scoring 14 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Croatian-American point guard Nikolas Tomsick (183-1991, college: Fort Lewis) chipped in 20 points during the contest. Four Abejas players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Puerto Rican point guard Jorge Pacheco (188-1998, college: Liberty, agency: Octagon Europe) with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists and South Sudanese-Lebanese center Ater Majok (210-1987, college: UConn) scored 15 points. Abejas maintains sixteenth position with 4-19 record. Loser Mineros dropped to the tenth place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Halc.Rojos and Freseras. Abejas will meet at home league's leader Fuerza Regia in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Mineros will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Mineros: J.Pacheco 25+6reb+9ast, B.Nazione 15+3reb+1ast, A.Majok 15+3reb+2ast, M.Ramos 8+2reb, A.Spight 6+3reb+4ast, A.Kappos 6+3reb+1ast
Abejas: N.Tomsick 20+2reb+2ast, W.Yoakum 17+3reb, T.Jones 14+12reb+6ast, A.Banks 11+6reb+2ast, J.Contreras 6+3reb, J.Lopez 5+4reb

Panteras - Halc.Xalapa 100-92

Very important is a road loss of second ranked Halcones UV Xalapa (16-7) against fifth ranked Panteras (16-8) on Sunday night. Visiting Halcones UV Xalapa was defeated by Panteras in a tough game in Aguascalientes 92-100. Panteras players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. It was a good game for the former international Fabian Jaimes (198-1992) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 11 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). American guard Josh Perkins (191-1995, college: Gonzaga, agency: Slash Sports) contributed with 14 points and 7 assists for the winners. Five Panteras players scored in double figures. Serbian power forward Nikola Jovanovic (211-1994, college: USC) replied with 21 points and 8 rebounds and Jamaican-American guard Sek Henry (193-1987, college: Nebraska) added 16 points and 4 assists in the effort for Halc.Xalapa. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Panteras moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Diablos. Halc.Xalapa lost third consecutive game. They keep the second position with seven games lost. They share it with Astros. Panteras will play against Soles (#9) in Mexicali in the next round where they are favorite. Halc.Xalapa will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Halc.Xalapa: N.Jovanovic 21+8reb+1ast, S.Henry 16+4reb+4ast, J.Glynn 14+2reb+3ast, J.Camacho 10+3reb, A.Elsener 9+5reb+2ast, J.Israel-Gutierrez 7+7reb+1ast
Panteras: F.Jaimes 23+11reb+3ast, J.Martin 15+4ast, S.Lemon 15+4reb+2ast, J.Perkins 14+2reb+7ast, G.Ricks 12+1reb+4ast, W.Ferreira 8+4reb+1ast

Correcaminos - El Calor 79-90

Not a big story in a game in Ciudad Victoria where 15th ranked Correcaminos (5-19) were defeated by thirteenth ranked El Calor (9-14) 90-79 on Sunday. El Calor shot 61.5 percent from the field. El Calor had a 26-15 advantage in offensive rebounds. They shot the lights out from three sinking 12 long-distance shots on high 57.1 percentage. Argentinian point guard Luciano Guerra (184-1997) scored 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and Lithuanian center Egidijus Mockevicius (208-1992, college: Evansville) chipped in 21 points and 9 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) during the contest. The best for the losing side was swingman Manuel Hernandez (193-1991) with 22 points and American forward Navar Elmore (206, college: Livingstone, agency: Interperformances) scored 13 points and 6 rebounds. Five El Calor and four Correcaminos players scored in double figures. Correcaminos' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. El Calor have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain thirteenth position with 9-14 record. Correcaminos lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the fifteenth place with 19 games lost. El Calor will meet at home higher ranked Plateros (#7) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Correcaminos will play against Dorados (#6) in Chihuahua and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Correcaminos: M.Hernandez 22+3reb, K.Hankerson 14+1ast, N.Elmore 13+6reb+1ast, J.Faulkner 12+2reb, L.Elmore 7+7reb+3ast, T.Hankerson 6+1reb+3ast
El Calor: E.Mockevicius 21+9reb, L.Guerra 20+6reb+7ast, M.Fernandez 19+4reb+1ast, R.Delgado 12+1reb+2ast, A.Goodwin 11+6reb+2ast, J.Lawson 4+4reb+2ast