January 13, 2016

ST. LOUIS – Two of the top performers in the Midwest Professional Basketball Association in 2015 are sharing the league’s first Player of the Week award for 2016.

                    Reigning Most Valuable Player Justin Bocot and Chicago Bulls training camp invitee Jake Anderson both had dominating performances in their new teams’ openers on Sunday.

                    Anderson scored a league-high 34 points on 10-of-14 shooting and dished four assists in the inaugural game for his Pontiac 66ers, a hard-fought 138-128 win over his old team, the Gateway Steam.

                    Bocot, meanwhile, put up 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 21 in the second half of the St. Louis RiverSharks’ 17-point comeback win over the Lima Express.

                    Connell Crossland (17 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks) of the Steam, Dion Cooksey (30 points, 7 assists, 3 steals) of the Windy City Groove, and Michael Rogers (30 points on 10-11 shooting and 10 rebounds) of the Champaign Swarm also received consideration for the award.

                    Complete statistics can be found at the league website, www.theMPBA.com.