LIPS’ No. 1 is numero uno in scoring

LIPS-Mobil forward Rowell Aranda is the Budweiser-Coca Cola 6th Annual UFO Inter-Organizational Basketball League’s top scorer after finishing the season with an average of 27.7 points per game.

Aside from Aranda, who wears the No. 1 jersey for LIPS, leaders of six categories—rebounds, assists, steals, block shots, 3-points made, and free throw accuracy—were also made known Tuesday night. The statistics were provided and compiled by official UFO statistician Andrew Mesina.

The No. 1 rebounder in the regular season was 287 Club-McDonald’s forward-center William Opone (10.1), taking the best in assists award was Visminda-Nel Atalig’s big man Jawn Joyner (4.3), topping the steals department was Cavite-Country House guard Chris Domingo (4.2), best in blocks was Cabalen-RP Construction/Transamerica center Dalewin Cortez (2.1), the players with the most 3-point conversions were SIP-Flor A. Miranda marksman Bryan Flores and SMF-Shell resident shooter Sonny Lerio (Two 3-point makes per ballgame), while the most accurate free throw shooter was Visminda’s Bing Marasigan, who made good on 83.3 percent of his attempts from the 15-foot line.

Rowell coming to his own

The 5’10” Aranda inherited the scoring reins in the Mobil-backed squad from the team’s heart and soul, Andres “Jhun” Estolas Jr., and has never looked more comfortable being the first option on offense.

In all, Aranda compiled 194 points in seven games. He made 77 2-point field goals, five 3-pointers, and swooshed 25 of 47 free throws.

Finishing a far second in the scoring race was CNMI Power-Mayor Juan B. Tudela’s Reynaldo “Badong” Camacho. The reed thin 5’11” forward tossed in 162 points in seven games and normed 23.1 points per ballgame.

Opone was No. 3 in scoring after finishing with 146 in even games for an average of 21 points per contest. Estolas and Bayani-HBR International’s Rowell Tordilla close out the Top 5 after averaging 20.8 and 19.4 markers, respectively, in seven games.

SMF swingman Leo Itaas (19.1 points), Cavite’s Domingo (17.4), NAMFREL-Region V/Sabungero center Larry Palero (17.2), 287 Club’s Ariel Jinang (17.1), and SMF’s Sonny Lerio (16.1) make up the rest of the Top 10 in scoring.

Opone rules the backboard

The 5’10” Opone was a workhorse for an overachieving 287 Club team in the regular season. Not only did he lead the league in caroms and finished third in scoring, he also averaged 3.1 assists, 2.2 steals, and nearly a block (0.8) in seven games.

MDX Amateur Radio Club-Armatech’s Marlon De Dios was a close second in rebounding as the 6’0” center grabbed 10 boards a ballgame. Aranda also showed his talent and skill off the backboard, collaring 9.7 boards per contest, which tied him with NAMFREL’s Palero. Cabalen’s Roland Delos Reyes was fifth in rebounding after hauling down an average of 9.1 caroms.

NAMFREL’s Gabby Gagate (8.1 rebounds), SMF’s Leo Itaas (8.5), Bayani’s Tordilla (7.6), and CNMI Power’s Camacho (7.5) round out the Top 10 in rebounding.

Joyner mimics the Stilt

It is unusual for a big man like Joyner to lead the league in assists but one only has to look at the NBA to realize that it has happened before. Branded as a selfish and one-dimensional player Wilt “The Silt” Chamberlain proved critics wrong and doled out a league-leading 702 assists in the 1967-68 season of the NBA.

Estolas concentrated more in distributing the ball than scoring this season and this was evident in his assist total, as he averaged a second-best 3.85 dole-outs per game. NAMFREL guard Jeff Garcia tied Estolas in assists, while Visminda teammates Marasigan and Fernando “Pando” Muleta shared the fourth and fifth spots as well with identical averages of 3.83 assists per contest.

Cabalen guard Randy Arnedo (3.5 assists), 287 Club forward Francis Rebuyon (3.4), SMF guard Jimmy Sison (3.4), SIP guard Elmer Esdrelon (3.2), and Cavite guard Bernard Montano (3.1) complete the Top 10 in assists.