Nieto leads UAAP Jrs race for MVP diadem

MANILA, Philippines - Michael “Big Mike” Nieto of unbeaten leader Ateneo showed the way in the race for the UAAP Season 77 juniors basketball MVP plum at the halfway point of the tournament.

The 6-foot-3 Nieto,who scored the game-winner in the Blue Eaglets’ 66-64 squeaker over holder National U for a sweep of the first round, assembled 69.8571 statistical points to lead over La Salle-Zobel’s Aljun Melecio and NU’s Mark Dyke, who piled up identical 67.4286 SPs.

A mainstay of the Batang Gilas Philippine team that competed in the Fiba U-17 championship, Nieto posted averages of 15 points, 10.4 rebounds,and 2.4 assists to boost his bid for the top individual plum.

Melecio emerged as the league’s top scorer (16.4 ppg spiked by a one-game high of 24) and assist man (6 per outing with a single-game high of 11) while Dyke lorded it in rebounding (13.3 a match with a high of 18) while norming 14.3 points, per stats provided by Imperium and Smart Bro.

Nieto’s twin brother and fellow Eaglet Matt occupied fourth in SPs with 62.5714 built around 14.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 3.3 apg followed by Junior Archer Joaquin Banzon, the league’s second-leading scorer with 15.4 markers and the steals leader with 2.1, with 55.5714 SPs overall.

Also finishing in the Top 10 were Ateneo’s Lorenzo Mendoza (54.0000), Far Eastern’s Christian Fajarito (52.8571),Adamson’s Frederick Tungcab (50.4286), UPIS’ Javi Gomez de Liano (50.4286), and University of the East’s Paul Dagunan (46.2857).