Brickman-led Alab stuns Mono with 16-point swerve for OT win

MANILA, Philippines – Jason Brickman made sure his old team in the ASEAN Basketball League wouldn’t embarrass him two games in a row. 

In front of a familiarly raucous Thai crowd in Stadium 29, the Fil-Am point guard erupted for a career-high 32 points as San Miguel Alab Pilipinas completed a stunning 100-92 turnaround overtime win against top-seeded Mono Vampire on Thursday, January 30. 

It was the perfect statement game Alab needed after absorbing an 89-102 home loss to the same team at the Caloocan Sports Complex last Sunday, January 26.

Well-known around the league for his prolific dime-dishing, Brickman opted to take matters into his own hands this time as he scored 23 of his 32 markers in the 4th and extra periods alone. 

However, he still added 8 rebounds and 8 assists to round out his stellar 11-of-14 shooting clip in the bounce-back win.

Down 16 early in the 4th quarter, 57-73, with little to no answer left on offense, Brickman answered the call and spearheaded a massive 27-6 run, capped off with what seemed to be a dagger trey for an 84-79 lead with 54 seconds left. 

But from that point, Mono only needed a pair of threes from imports Preston Knowles and Mike Singletary to force overtime, 85-all. 

Unfazed by his former squad’s counter run, Brickman dropped 8 more points in overtime, highlighted by his fifth and final triple at the 1:39 mark, 97-88, to end a 12-3 attack.

The league’s leading assist man then dished the final blow with a pair of free throws in the waning seconds of overtime for a 100-92 finish. 

Alab import Nick King likewise bounced back from a forgettable 2-of-17 shooting night last game and finished this time with 26 points and 9 rebounds on a 7-of-14 clip. 

Maltese monster Sam Deguara chipped in an 18-marker, 16-board double-double for good measure. 

Singletary paced Mono with 25 points, albeit needing 23 shots to get there. Knowles added 24 markers on a 9-of-20 clip while top local Tyler Lamb scored 20 on a 9-of-21 shooting. 

With the win, Alab Pilipinas averted a losing streak for the first time this season and rose to a 7-4 slate. Meanwhile, Mono kept its hold on the top spot even after falling to 9-4 for the year. 

Alab will return back home on Sunday, February 2, for a one-game home stand against the Singapore Slingers at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

The Scores 

Alab Pilipians 100 – Brickman 32, King 26, Deguara 18, Gray 8, Vigil 6, Williams 3, Heading 2, Ganuelas-Rosser 0, Caracut 0. 

Mono Vampire 92 – Singletary 25, Knowles 24, Lamb 20, Morgan 11, Morrison 9, Lish 3, Boonserm 0, Chanthachon 0, Saengtong 0, Ananti 0. 

Quarters: 17-26, 38-40, 55-70, 85-85, (reg.) 100-92 (OT).

– Rappler.com