The Mono Vampire Basketball Club proved without a shadow of a doubt that they are a team to be reckoned with come ABL Playoffs time.
Learning on another well-balanced offensive attack, Mono Vampire picked up an impressive victory on the road, dealing a 119-111 loss to the defending champions Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team.
Sam Deguara was chosen as the Player of the Game, as he notched an impressive double-double of 27 points and 15 rebounds. He also had six blocks in a impressive effort, as Hong Kong Eastern got their first look at the big man of Mono Vampire inside the Southorn Stadium
Deguara did most of his damage in the first half, as he scored 21 points in the first two quarters alone. Even Hong Kong’s World Import Ryan Moss was powerless to stop him, as Deguara’s rebounding and scoring propelled Mono Vampire to a 60-45 lead at the half. Teammate Mike Singletary was also impressive as he scored 17 points in the first two quarters.
And behind the balanced attack was Jason Brickman, who finished with 10 assists all by halftime. Brickman’s court vision helped his team get easy looks at the basket all game long.
Hong Kong Eastern would get going in the third quarter, as they went on a 7-2 run to begin the second half. However Mono Vampire refused to let the defending champs in the game, as Chitchai Ananati and Mike Singletary fired three straight triples, giving Mono a 24 point lead, the biggest of the game. But Hong Kong responded with a 16-2 run to finish the quarter, as they trimmed the deficit to 10 points entering the final period.
Behind Singletary and the mid-range game of Heritage Import Paul Zamar, Mono Vampire would take care of business in the fourth quarter, despite an 11-2 run by Hong Kong Eastern led by Lee Ki and reigning Heritage Import Tyler Lamb. Free throws by Deguara and Zamar preserved the lead, as Mono Vampire cruised to the win on the road.
Singletary led all scorers with 36 points, including an emphatic first quarter jam that was easily one of the best highlights of the season. He was also red hot from the perimeter, knocking down five triples in only seven attempts.
Zamar chipped in with 23 points and six assists, while Brickman added another all-around performance of 8 points, 5 rebounds and 13 assists.
Tyler Lamb led Hong Kong Eastern with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, while Elliott had 29 points to his name. Heritage Import Christian Standhardinger had 27, while Lee Ki contributed 20 in the losing cause.
Mono Vampire Basketball Club also made history with the win, as they broke the record for most points scored in a single season, with 1,916 points after the victory. The previous record belonged to the 2016 ABL champions Westports Malaysia Dragons.
Marcus Elliott also made ABL history, as he is now the fastest player in ABL history to breach the 1,000 point total. He did it in his 43rd career ABL game, eclipsing previous record holder Lenny Daniel, who achieved this feat in 44 games.
With the win, Mono Vampire Basketball Club climbs to 3rd place at 13-6, leapfrogging idle San Miguel Alab Pilipinas. Their final match of the eliminations is against Westports Malaysia Dragons on March 21.
Hong Kong Eastern drops to second place behind Chong Son Kung, as they absorb their third straight defeat, now sitting at a 13-5 slate.
