LNBP Round 21 (Regular Season): Soles keep a leadership position

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Soles as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Soles smashed 3rd placed Diablos in Mexicali 76-55. It was a good game for American guard Joshua Webster (190-1997, college: Missouri St.) who led his team to a victory with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. His fellow American import forward Connor Zinaich (201-1997, college: Nova SE) contributed with 7 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. American guard Daishon Smith (185-1995, college: ULM) answered with 15 points and 7 rebounds for Diablos. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Soles (18-2) have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. As mentioned above they are at the top of the standings, which they share with Astros. Diablos at the other side keep the third place with six games lost. They share the position with Fuerza Regia and Mineros. Diablos will play next round against strong Astros trying to get back on the winning streak. Soles will try to continue on its current victory against fourth ranked Fuerza Regia in Monterrey.
Seventh-ranked Halcones UV Xalapa (9-11) used its home court advantage to challenge fifth ranked Mineros (14-6). The visitors from Zacatecas managed to secure only three-point victory 74-71. However their fans expected easier game. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Halcones UV Xalapa. American-Argentinian guard Romeao Ferguson (196-1997, college: Lipscomb) stepped up and scored 15 points and 7 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winners and Joaquin Valinotti chipped in 12 points and 5 assists. The best for the losing side was American-Puerto Rican Jaysean Paige (188-1994, college: WVU) with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Mineros moved-up to third place, which they share with Fuerza Regia and Diablos. Halc.Xalapa at the other side keeps the seventh position with 11 games lost. They share it with Panteras. Mineros will play against Abejas (#12) in Guanajuato in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Halc.Xalapa will play on the road against Freseros (#13) in Irapuato and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game between tenth ranked El Calor (8-12) and 13th ranked Freseras (3-17) in Cancun on Thursday ended with biggest points difference. El Calor outscored guests from Irapuato 104-64. American players dominated the game. Jimond Ivey nailed 18 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winning side. El Calor's coach felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Darnell Brodie came up with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds for Freseros in the defeat. El Calor moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Correcaminos. Freseros lost their thirteenth game in a row. They keep the thirteenth position with 17 games lost. El Calor will meet higher ranked Dorados (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Freseros will play against Halc.Xalapa (#8) and hope to secure a win.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 21: Dorados beat Correcaminos on the road 96-85. Abejas lost to Fuerza Regia on its own court 81-94. Gambusinos unfortunately lost to Astros in Guadalajara 74-84. Panteras rolled over Santos at home 96-65.
The most impressive performance of 21th round was 14 points and 6 rebounds by Stedmon Lemon of Panteras.



Correcaminos - Dorados 85-96

No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked Dorados (12-8) beat 9th ranked Correcaminos (8-12) in Ciudad Victoria 96-85 on Thursday. American guard Kenny Hasbrouck (191-1986, college: Siena, agency: Interperformances) nailed 25 points for the winning side and his fellow American import Akia Pruitt (203-1997, college: UNCP) accounted for 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dorados' coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American point guard Damien Daniels (170-2000, college: ACU) came up with 16 points and 5 assists and Costa Rican-Belizean Charles Garcia (204-1988, college: Seattle) added 12 points and 8 rebounds respectively for Correcaminos in the defeat. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Dorados maintains sixth place with 12-8 record. Loser Correcaminos keep the ninth position with 12 games lost. They share it with El Calor. Dorados will meet at home El Calor (#10) in the next round. Correcaminos will play against Santos in San Luis Potosi and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Dorados: K.Hasbrouck 25+4reb+1ast, A.Pruitt 15+10reb+1ast, T.Johnson 13+4reb+3ast, C.Mitchell 11+13reb+1ast, S.Branch 11+4reb, A.Banks 8+1reb
Correcaminos: D.Daniels 16+3reb+5ast, R.Peters 13+2reb+4ast, T.Johnson 13+6reb+1ast, C.Garcia 12+8reb+1ast, T.Cracknell 10+6reb, B.Tuach 7+1reb

El Calor - Freseros 104-64

The game between tenth ranked El Calor (8-12) and 13th ranked Freseras (3-17) in Cancun on Thursday ended with biggest points difference. El Calor outscored guests from Irapuato 104-64. El Calor forced 19 Freseros turnovers. They shot the lights out from three sinking 19 long-distance shots on high 51.4 percentage. El Calor looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists comparing to just 6 passes made by Freseros' players. American players dominated the game. Guard Jimond Ivey (196-1996, college: Akron) nailed 18 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winning side and guard Lance Jones (185-2000, college: Purdue) accounted for 15 points and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). El Calor's coach felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Forward Darnell Brodie (208-1998, college: Drake) came up with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds and point guard Brandon Boyd (180-1997, college: CBU) added 15 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Freseros in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. El Calor moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Correcaminos. Freseros lost their thirteenth game in a row. They keep the thirteenth position with 17 games lost. El Calor will meet higher ranked Dorados (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Freseros will play against Halc.Xalapa (#8) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
El Calor: J.Ivey 18+7reb+2ast, L.Jones 15+4ast, A.Barber 13+1reb+3ast, M.Fernandez 11+4reb, J.Avila 11+6reb+2ast, G.DeVaughn 8+3reb
Freseros: D.Brodie 16+10reb+1ast, B.Boyd 15+6reb+1ast, H.Butler 11+9reb, J.Moorman II 10+3reb+1ast, K.Coats 7+1reb+2ast, X.Green 4+3reb

Soles - Diablos 76-55

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Soles as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Soles smashed 3rd placed Diablos in Mexicali 76-55. It was a good game for American guard Joshua Webster (190-1997, college: Missouri St.) who led his team to a victory with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. His fellow American import forward Connor Zinaich (201-1997, college: Nova SE) contributed with 7 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Four Soles players scored in double figures. American guard Daishon Smith (185-1995, college: ULM) answered with 15 points and 7 rebounds and Venezuelan forward Michael Carrera (196-1993, college: S.Carolina, agency: BIG) added 7 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Diablos. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Soles (18-2) have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. As mentioned above they are at the top of the standings, which they share with Astros. Diablos at the other side keep the third place with six games lost. They share the position with Fuerza Regia and Mineros. Diablos will play next round against strong Astros trying to get back on the winning streak. Soles will try to continue on its current victory against fourth ranked Fuerza Regia in Monterrey.
Top scorers:
Soles: J.Webster 23+7reb+7ast, D.Sims 13+2reb, B.McCoy 11+5reb+1ast, L.Martinez 10+3reb+3ast, C.Zinaich 7+11reb+2ast, J.Glynn 6+4reb+1ast
Diablos: D.Smith 15+7reb+1ast, A.Anderson 13+2reb, M.Carrera 7+7reb+1ast, D.Brite 6+5reb+1ast, L.Gonzalez 5+3reb, K.Helmanis 4+2reb

Abejas - Fuerza Regia 81-94

Very expected game when 12th ranked Abejas (4-16) lost to fourth ranked Fuerza Regia (14-6) in Guanajuato 81-94 on Thursday. Fuerza Regia looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The former international center Joshua Ibarra (211-1995, college: HCU) nailed a double-double by scoring 12 points and 10 rebounds for the winning side and Kosovan-American Scott Bamforth (188-1989, college: Weber St.) accounted for 16 points and 5 assists. American power forward Makhi Mitchell (206-2000, college: Arkansas) came up with 15 points and 8 rebounds and Puerto Rican Jorge Torres (196-2000) added 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for Abejas in the defeat. Five Fuerza Regia and four Abejas players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Fuerza Regia. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Mineros and Diablos. Abejas lost their eighth game in a row. They keep the twelfth position with 16 games lost. Fuerza Regia will meet at home league's leader Soles in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Abejas will play against Mineros (#5) in Zacatecas and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Fuerza Regia: S.Bamforth 16+1reb+5ast, S.Shorter 15+2reb+4ast, J.Ibarra 12+10reb+2ast, A.Holmes 12+3reb+3ast, P.Oriola 12+7reb+1ast, W.Langston 10+3reb+4ast
Abejas: M.Mitchell 15+8reb+2ast, S.Keith 10+1reb+2ast, J.Torres 10+8reb+5ast, J.Rivera 10+1reb+6ast, J.Kosakowski 9, Q.Greenaway 7+1reb+1ast

Halc.Xalapa - Mineros 71-74

Seventh-ranked Halcones UV Xalapa (9-11) used its home court advantage to challenge fifth ranked Mineros (14-6). The visitors from Zacatecas managed to secure only three-point victory 74-71. However their fans expected easier game. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Halcones UV Xalapa. Mineros made 19-of-24 charity shots (79.2 percent) during the game. American-Argentinian guard Romeao Ferguson (196-1997, college: Lipscomb) stepped up and scored 15 points and 7 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winners and Argentinian point guard Joaquin Valinotti (185-1998) chipped in 12 points and 5 assists. The best for the losing side was American-Puerto Rican Jaysean Paige (188-1994, college: WVU) with 19 points and 5 rebounds and the former international Gabriel Giron (192-1988) scored 16 points (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Mineros moved-up to third place, which they share with Fuerza Regia and Diablos. Halc.Xalapa at the other side keeps the seventh position with 11 games lost. They share it with Panteras. Mineros will play against Abejas (#12) in Guanajuato in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Halc.Xalapa will play on the road against Freseros (#13) in Irapuato and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Mineros: R.Ferguson 15+7reb+2ast, D.McClanahan 12+2reb+3ast, J.Valinotti 12+2reb+5ast, K.Horton 9+5reb+2ast, M.Bulic 8+7reb, K.Lawson 6+5reb
Halc.Xalapa: J.Paige 19+5reb+1ast, G.Giron 16+2reb+1ast, S.Henry 10+1reb+1ast, T.McFadden 10+3reb+2ast, F.Zurbriggen 7+3reb+4ast, J.Bibbs 4+1reb

Astros - Gambusinos 84-74

Very predictable result when second ranked Astros (18-2) won against 11th ranked Gambusinos (7-13) in Guadalajara 84-74 on Thursday. Astros outrebounded Gambusinos 45-30 including a 17-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. Astros looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The former international guard Diego Willis (193-1999, college: SF Austin) nailed 18 points and 7 rebounds for the winning side and American point guard Armani Chaney (178-1997, college: Tennessee St.) accounted for 14 points and 4 assists. Chaney is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Astros' coach let to play all 12 players and allowed the starting five to rest. American guard Michael Bryson (193-1994, college: UCSB) came up with 18 points and the other American import point guard KJ Feagin (185-1997, college: SDSU) added 14 points and 4 assists respectively for Gambusinos in the defeat. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Astros. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Soles. Gambusinos lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the eleventh place with 13 games lost. Astros will meet Diablos (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Gambusinos will play against Panteras (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Astros: D.Willis 18+7reb, D.Davis 16+5reb, A.Chaney 14+4reb+4ast, R.Mendoza 7+6reb+4ast, D.Upson 7+3reb+1ast, D.Cooper 7+6reb+4ast
Gambusinos: M.Bryson 18+4reb+3ast, B.Allen 17+1reb+2ast, K.Feagin 14+4reb+4ast, N.Tomsick 8+2ast, J.Cunningham 7+11reb, J.Narcis 6+5reb+2ast

Panteras - Santos 96-65

Not a big story in a game when 14th ranked Santos (2-18) were outscored by eighth ranked Panteras (9-11) in Aguascalientes 96-65 on Thursday. Panteras looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American point guard Jaron Martin (178-1995, college: UC Irvine) nailed 17 points and 5 assists for the winning side and his fellow American import swingman Stedmon Lemon (198-1992, college: JCSU) accounted for 14 points and 6 rebounds. American-Puerto Rican point guard Tjader Fernandez (178-1994) came up with 9 points and 6 rebounds and American-Puerto Rican forward Angel Matias (194-1992, college: Georgia South) added 13 points respectively for Santos in the defeat. 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. Panteras moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Halc.Xalapa. Santos lost their sixth game in a row. They stay dead last with 18 lost games. Panteras will meet Gambusinos (#11) in the next round. Santos will play against Correcaminos and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Panteras: J.Martin 17+4reb+5ast, S.Lemon 14+6reb+1ast, T.White 10+3reb+1ast, A.Villanueva 10+4reb, S.Barro 10+5reb, V.Shahid 9+1reb+4ast
Santos: A.Matias 13+2reb+1ast, T.Fernandez 9+6reb+3ast, J.Grayer 8+3reb+2ast, G.Ricks 8+2reb+3ast, M.Bell 7+4reb+1ast, C.Cortes 5+2reb+3ast