4 players stand out in MIBL

The Game’s Mak Mintac takes off for a an uncontested shot during their game against Bridge Capital in the Atkins Kroll Marianas International Basketball League last month at the Marianas High School Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Halfway through the regular season of the Atkins Kroll Marianas International Basketball League, four players have put up impressive numbers in the 10-team competition.

In the scoring department, The Game’s Mak Mintac leads the league with his 27 points per game average. He had his best output in their recent match (74-75 loss to Aqua Resort Club last Saturday) after firing 36 points. The high-flying forward also tallied 30-plus points (31) in their 63-91 defeat to Mystique BBQ. For his first three games, Mintac recorded 23 (versus Atkins Kroll), 20 (against MS Villagomez), and 25 points (opposite Bridge Capital).

Joining Mintac in the Top 5 in the scoring leaderboard are Saipan Vegas’s Coby Santos (21.4 points average), Mystique’s Jetzen Jandoc (20.3), Caravan’s’ Ken Viray (20), and MS Villagomez’s Chioni Dela Cruz (18.7).

Santos had back-to-back 18-point game (versus Bridge Capital and Mystique), made 17 against AK, and 19 in their match versus IT&E. The Saipan Vegas gunner’s season-high so far is 35 points, which he registered in their 97-68 triumph against Caravan’s.

Jandoc, on the other hand, played in only three of Mystique’s four games and had his highest production (30) against The Game late last month. Dela Cruz also has played only three games so far and had his best offensive showing in their match opposite TanHoldings after posting 21 points. Viray missed one of Caravan’s first five matches and scored at least 20 points in three games (20, 25, and 24) with his least output (11) logged in his season debut against Bridge Capital.

Meanwhile, Saipan Vegas’ Douglas Schmidt and Alex Standish are the league leaders in assists and rebounds, respectively.

Standish averaged 13.4 rebounds per game, recording his most rebounds (20) in their 112-55 demolition of Aqua Resort Club. The big man averaged in twin digits in rebounds in their last three games.

Standish’s teammate, Josh Andrew (11.4), IT&E’s Paulo Rafols (11.3), TanHoldings’ Michael Torregosa (11), and The Game’s Jun Fidelino (9.8) rounded out the Top 5 rebounding leaders.

In the assists department, Schmidt’s average of 7 leads IT&E’s Sean Rabasto (5.2), AK Toyota’s Jeff Borja (5), Santos (5), and Caravan’s Sid Quan (4.6). Schmidt had 22 assists in Saipan Vegas’s first two victories and 20 in the next four to keep their squad on top of the team standings.