Santos gets MVP, 2 other awards

The Ol’Aces’ Coby Santos shows the regular season MVP trophy he received during the awards ceremony for the 2019 Pacific Amusement/NMI Rollers Youth Basketball Tournament last Saturday at the Koblerville Gymnasium. (Kimberly A. Bautista)

The Ol’Aces’ Coby Santos bagged the regular season MVP trophy and two other awards in the U18 division of the 2019 Pacific Amusement/NMI Rollers Youth Basketball Tournament.

Santos put up impressive numbers in five games in the elimination round, as he averaged in double figures in scoring and racked up 27 rebounds, 20 steals, 15 assists and four blocks. The Ol’Aces gunner topped the assists department and also led the division in steals category.

Santos and the Ol’Aces were defeated by the Tinian Typhoon in the division finals with Gregory Santos playing a key role in the visiting squad’s upset of the top-ranked team 60-58. Gregory ended up taking the Finals MVP award, as he made 16 points and 19 rebounds in their overtime win in the title match.

The Tinian player was also awarded the King of Rebounds award for recording 38 rebounds the entire season.

Meanwhile, the division’s sportsmanship ward was given to the 670 Sonics during the trophies presentation last Saturday at the Koblerville Gymnasium.

In the U16 division, the NMI Rollers’ Steve King was named regular season MVP for making 13 steals, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and three blocks.

The Finals MVP in the U16 division was Derrick Atalig, also from the NMI Rollers. He delivered 8 points in the championship game and also tallied 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. The NMI Rollers nipped the Ol’Aces in the finals, 49-48, off Ervin Villarin’s last-second dagger.

Other awardees in the U16 division were Rexon Calage, Jay Palmes, and Koboy Mizutani of the NMI Rollers, and Greg Deleon Guerrero of the Ol’Aces.

Calage was named King of Rebounds for grabbing 16, Palmes took home the King of Assists award for his 15 feeds, and Mizutani was named King of Blocks for swatting away 12 shots. Deleon Guerrero was named King of Steals for his 23 steals.

The U16 sportsmanship award went to ChinaTown.

In the U14 division, the Rollers’ Freddy Pelisamen earned the regular season MVP and King of Steals awards. He had 16 steals and also registered 23 rebounds and six blocks in the elimination round.

The King of Assists award was given to Rollers’ Leo Naraja for his 23 assists, the King of Blocks trophy was handed to the Ol’Aces’ Craig Padayao for his 13 blocks, and the King of Rebounds plum went to the Rollers’ Nyler Eugenio for his 35 boards.

Rounding out the awardees in the U14 division was Tinian, which took home the sportsmanship trophy.