CIBACOPA Round 9 (Regular Season): Guaymas hand first defeat to Astros

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Astros (9-1) recorded its first loss on the court of seventh ranked Ostioneros de Guaymas on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by Ostioneros de Guaymas 116-104. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Astros. Guaymas shot 62.5 percent from the field. They outrebounded Astros 27-16. The best player for the winners was American guard Sherif Gross-Bullock (196-1999, college: Bryant) who scored 26 points and 4 assists (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). His fellow American import point guard Quade Green (183-1998, college: Washington) chipped in 28 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Filipino guard Mikh McKinney (184-1992, college: Sacramento St.) who recorded 27 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guaymas (4-6) moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Frayles. Astros at the other side still keep top position with one game lost. Guaymas is looking forward to face league's second-placed Angeles in Ciudad de Mexico in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Astros will play on the road against Hermosillo and are hoping to win this game.
Tenth-ranked Rayos de Hermosillo (2-6) made lots of trouble for second ranked Angeles (8-2). The visitors from Ciudad de Mexico managed to secure only three-point victory 102-99. However their fans expected much easier game. The game was dominated by American players. It was a good game for guard Terrell Brown (185-1998, college: NM State) who led his team to a victory with 30 points and 5 rebounds. Will Yoakum contributed with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. Forward James Montgomery (203-2001, college: Barry) answered with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds for Hermosillo. Angeles have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They maintain second place with 8-2 record behind leader Astros. Defending champion Hermosillo dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. They share it with Obregon. Angeles will play against Guaymas (#7) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Hermosillo will play against the league's leader Astros and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (6-2) against fifth ranked Frayles de Guasave (4-6) on Friday night. Visiting Pioneros Los Mochis were defeated by Frayles de Guasave in a tough game in Guasave 86-93. Jose Augusto Soto stepped up and scored 19 points and 9 assists for the winners. The best for the losing side was Myles Carter with 21 points. Despite that victory Frayles went down to sixth position due to points difference, which they share with Guaymas. Loser Pioneros Los Mochis keep the third place with two games lost. Frayles will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Los Mochis will play against Culiacan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Other games of round 9 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Mazatlan was defeated by Obregon in Ciudad Obregon 91-89. Guaymas were beaten by Astros at home 98-103. Los Mochis won against Frayles on the opponent's court 90-75. Bottom-ranked Obregon managed to outperform Mazatlan in a home game 93-82. Tijuana recorded a loss to Culiacan on the road 86-77. Bottom-ranked Hermosillo defeated Angeles on its own court 96-86.



Frayles - Los Mochis 93-86

Very important is a road loss of third ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (6-2) against fifth ranked Frayles de Guasave (4-6) on Friday night. Visiting Pioneros Los Mochis were defeated by Frayles de Guasave in a tough game in Guasave 86-93. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Frayles made 8 blocks. Dominican-Spanish point guard Jose Augusto Soto (180-1993) stepped up and scored 19 points and 9 assists for the winners and American guard Davaunta Thomas (196-1995, college: UAFS) chipped in 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Thomas 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 center Myles Carter (206-1997, college: Seattle) with 21 points and the other American import forward Corey Sanders (188-1997, college: Rutgers) scored 11 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Despite that victory Frayles went down to sixth position due to points difference, which they share with Guaymas. Loser Pioneros Los Mochis keep the third place with two games lost. Frayles will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Los Mochis will play against Culiacan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Frayles: J.Augusto Soto 19+4reb+9ast, D.Thomas 18+8reb+4ast, K.Whitney 17+4reb+2ast, O.Akonobi 11+5reb, T.Jones 10+9reb+2ast, R.Smith 9+6reb+1ast
Los Mochis: M.Carter 21+4reb, N.Faust 15+2reb+1ast, C.Sanders 11+7reb+6ast, J.Wilson-Frame 11+8reb+3ast, R.Smith 10+2reb+2ast, J.Winston 8+4reb+1ast

Obregon - Mazatlan 91-89

There was a minor upset when 8th ranked Venados (2-8) were edged on the road by tenth ranked Halcones de Ciudad Obregon (2-6) 91-89 on Friday. Obregon made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Obregon had a 19-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. The game was also dominated by American players. Forward Connor Zinaich (201-1997, college: Nova SE) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks for the winners and guard Keith Williams (196-1998, college: WKU) chipped in 24 points and 10 rebounds. The best for the losing side was point guard KJ Feagin (185-1997, college: SDSU) with 34 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds and point guard Elijah Weaver (197-1998, college: Chicago St.) scored 21 points and 7 assists. Five Obregon and four Mazatlan players scored in double figures. Obregon moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Hermosillo. Loser Venados dropped to the bottom position with eight games lost. Obregon will meet higher ranked Tijuana (#5) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Mazatlan will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Obregon: K.Williams 24+10reb+1ast, C.Zinaich 23+17reb+5ast, J.Perkins 19+2reb+8ast, A.Martinez 12+8reb, J.Holder 10+2reb+3ast, K.Ledoux 3+1reb
Mazatlan: K.Feagin 34+9reb+1ast, E.Weaver 21+4reb+7ast, M.Wright 14+4reb+1ast, T.Thompson 11+10reb+1ast, T.Ferguson 9+2reb+4ast, R.Brahin 0+1ast

Guaymas - Astros 98-103

No shocking result in a game when first ranked Astros (9-1) defeated on the road 7th ranked Ostioneros de Guaymas (4-6) 103-98 on Friday. Astros made 31-of-36 free shots (86.1 percent) during the game. The game was also dominated by American players. Guard Malachi Richardson (197-1996, college: Syracuse) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winners and point guard Armani Chaney (178-1997, college: Tennessee St.) chipped in 18 points. Chaney is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas. Five Astros players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was guard Andy Cleaves II (188-1996, college: CS Stanislaus) with 27 points and guard Sherif Gross-Bullock (196-1999, college: Bryant) scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. The victory was the ninth consecutive win for Astros. They maintain first place with 9-1 record. Loser Ostioneros de Guaymas dropped to the sixth position with six games lost. They share it with Frayles. Astros will meet Hermosillo (#8) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Guaymas will play against the league's second-placed Angeles and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Astros: M.Richardson 24+11reb+2ast, A.Chaney 18+2reb+1ast, T.McCallum 12+5reb+1ast, K.Matute 10+4reb+2ast, M.McKinney 10+4reb, B.Jefferson 8+3reb+1ast
Guaymas: A.Cleaves II 27+4reb+3ast, S.Gross-Bullock 21+8reb+2ast, Q.Green 18+1reb+4ast, O.Calvillo 8+2reb, C.Oluyitan 8+1reb+2ast, I.Muhammad 7+7reb+3ast

Hermosillo - Angeles 99-102

Tenth-ranked Rayos de Hermosillo (2-6) made lots of trouble for second ranked Angeles (8-2). The visitors from Ciudad de Mexico managed to secure only three-point victory 102-99. However their fans expected much easier game. Angeles players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists. The game was dominated by American players. It was a good game for guard Terrell Brown (185-1998, college: NM State) who led his team to a victory with 30 points and 5 rebounds. Swingman Will Yoakum (196-1998, college: Nova SE) contributed with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. Forward James Montgomery (203-2001, college: Barry) answered with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds and guard Khalil Iverson (196-1997, college: Wisconsin) added 22 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Hermosillo. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Angeles have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They maintain second place with 8-2 record behind leader Astros. Defending champion Hermosillo dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. They share it with Obregon. Angeles will play against Guaymas (#7) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Hermosillo will play against the league's leader Astros and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Angeles: T.Brown 30+5reb+2ast, W.Yoakum 19+10reb+7ast, K.Simon 19+7reb+3ast, J.Calloway 10+7reb+7ast, J.Smith 7+4reb, D.Willis 6+3reb+2ast
Hermosillo: C.Christon 22+4reb+3ast, K.Iverson 22+8reb+2ast, J.Montgomery 19+12reb+2ast, T.Clark 11+3reb+4ast, J.French 9+2reb+3ast, T.Larrier 9+6reb+1ast

Frayles - Los Mochis 75-90

Rather expected game when 5th ranked Frayles de Guasave (4-6) was defeated at home by third ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (6-2) 90-75 on Saturday. Los Mochis made 22-of-25 free shots (88.0 percent) during the game. American guard Taylor Johnson (193-1994, college: Dartmouth) stepped up and scored 19 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import guard Rashad Smith (193, college: Idaho) chipped in 14 points. Worth to mention Smith played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped get the job in pro basketball. The best for the losing side was forward Tyrone Jones (193) with 20 points and 9 rebounds and Nigerian center Olisa Akonobi (213-2000, college: AAMU) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Los Mochis maintains third place with 6-2 record having five points less than leader Astros. Loser Frayles de Guasave dropped to the sixth position with six games lost. They share it with Guaymas. Los Mochis will meet at home Culiacan (#4) in the next round. Frayles will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Los Mochis: T.Johnson 19+8reb+2ast, R.Smith 14+1reb+3ast, J.Winston 12+4reb, C.Sanders 11+3reb+3ast, M.Carter 10+5reb, J.Wilson-Frame 10+1reb+3ast
Frayles: T.Jones 20+9reb+1ast, K.Whitney 14+2reb+2ast, O.Akonobi 12+15reb+1ast, J.Augusto Soto 12+4reb+5ast, D.Gage 10, B.Porter 5+4reb+1ast

Obregon - Mazatlan 93-82

There was a small surprise when tenth ranked Halcones de Ciudad Obregon (2-6) beat at home bottom-ranked Venados (2-8) 93-82 on Saturday. Obregon looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Obregon made 12 blocks. American forward Connor Zinaich (201-1997, college: Nova SE) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 29 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 blocks for the winners and his fellow American import guard Keith Williams (196-1998, college: WKU) chipped in 21 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). The best for the losing side was Colombian forward Michael Wright (198-1987) with 20 points and 9 rebounds and American point guard KJ Feagin (185-1997, college: SDSU) scored 19 points and 5 rebounds. Four Obregon and five Mazatlan players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Obregon moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Hermosillo. Loser Venados dropped to the bottom position with eight games lost. Obregon will meet higher ranked Tijuana (#5) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Mazatlan will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Obregon: C.Zinaich 29+13reb+5ast, T.Nuno 21+1reb+3ast, K.Williams 21+4reb+3ast, J.Holder 11+2reb+1ast, A.Martinez 4+6reb+1ast, V.Jackson 4+3reb+1ast
Mazatlan: M.Wright 20+9reb+1ast, K.Feagin 19+5reb+2ast, E.Weaver 15+4reb+4ast, T.Ferguson 12+3reb+4ast, T.Thompson 11+7reb+2ast, R.Brahin 5+6reb+1ast

Guaymas - Astros 116-104

Astros (9-1) recorded its first loss on the court of seventh ranked Ostioneros de Guaymas on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by Ostioneros de Guaymas 116-104. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Astros. Guaymas shot 62.5 percent from the field. They outrebounded Astros 27-16. The best player for the winners was American guard Sherif Gross-Bullock (196-1999, college: Bryant) who scored 26 points and 4 assists (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). His fellow American import point guard Quade Green (183-1998, college: Washington) chipped in 28 points. Four Ostioneros de Guaymas players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Filipino guard Mikh McKinney (184-1992, college: Sacramento St.) who recorded 27 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) and American point guard Armani Chaney (178-1997, college: Tennessee St.) added 19 points respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guaymas (4-6) moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Frayles. Astros at the other side still keep top position with one game lost. Guaymas is looking forward to face league's second-placed Angeles in Ciudad de Mexico in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Astros will play on the road against Hermosillo and are hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Guaymas: Q.Green 28+3ast, S.Gross-Bullock 26+4reb+4ast, H.Spencer 23+6reb+1ast, I.Muhammad 16+4reb, O.Calvillo 8+3reb+1ast, A.Cleaves II 7+3reb+4ast
Astros: M.McKinney 27+3reb, A.Chaney 19, J.Clay 14+2reb+2ast, M.Richardson 9+2reb+1ast, B.Jefferson 9+1reb, M.Andriassi 9+1ast

Culiacan - Tijuana 86-77

There was a minor upset when 4th placed Tijuana Zonkeys (4-5) were defeated on the road by seventh ranked Caballeros de Culiacan (4-3) 86-77 on Saturday. Culiacan made 17-of-20 free shots (85.0 percent) during the game. Culiacan had a 37-26 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Culiacan made 8 blocks. The game was also dominated by American players. Point guard DaQuan Brooks (177-1990, college: W.Connecticut) stepped up and scored 17 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and guard Isaac Hamilton (196-1994, college: UCLA) chipped in 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was swingman Cameron Mitchell (195-1992, college: IU Southeast) with 31 points and 6 rebounds and guard Jordan Burns (188-1997, college: Colgate, agency: GSE Worldwide) scored 12 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. Tijuana Zonkeys' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the third consecutive win for Caballeros de Culiacan. They moved-up to fourth place. Loser Tijuana Zonkeys dropped to the fifth position with five games lost. Culiacan will meet higher ranked Los Mochis (#3) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Tijuana will play against Obregon and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Culiacan: I.Hamilton 19+5reb+4ast, D.Brooks 17+9reb+3ast, C.Harvey 13+2reb+2ast, N.Evans 9+4reb, J.Hughes III 9+5reb+2ast, I.Avalos 8+3reb+1ast
Tijuana: C.Mitchell 31+6reb+1ast, A.Kaye Williams 16+5reb, J.Burns 12+9reb+8ast, M.Calloo 7+1reb, T.Lee 6+5reb+1ast, C.Ware 2+1ast

Hermosillo - Angeles 96-86

There was a surprise result when tenth ranked Rayos de Hermosillo (2-6) won against at home second-best Angeles (8-2) 96-86 on Saturday. Hermosillo looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The game was also dominated by American players. Point guard Bryce Griggs (188-2003) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 13 assists for the winners and forward James Montgomery (203-2001, college: Barry) chipped in 17 points and 16 rebounds. Five Rayos de Hermosillo players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was guard Terrell Brown (185-1998, college: NM State) with 35 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 6 assists and forward Daytone Jennings (206-1997, college: CSUSB, agency: SLN) scored 6 points and 14 rebounds. Defending champion moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Obregon. Loser Angeles keep the second position with two games lost. Hermosillo will meet at home league's leader Astros in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Angeles will play against Guaymas and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hermosillo: B.Griggs 23+2reb+13ast, J.Montgomery 17+16reb, C.Christon 16+3reb+1ast, K.Iverson 12+5reb+1ast, J.Tripp 12+3reb+4ast, J.French 9+2reb
Angeles: T.Brown 35+6reb+6ast, D.Willis 16+3reb+2ast, J.Calloway 13+5reb+1ast, W.Yoakum 9+4reb+2ast, D.Jennings 6+14reb+1ast, K.Simon 4+2reb+3ast