By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Former Hua Siong College of Iloilo superstar Mark Nonoy displayed his best game in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) after erupting for a new career-high 33 points on January 22, 2025.
Not only did Nonoy showcase his best offensive outing in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup but he also steered the Terrafirma Dyip to a 117-108 upset victory over the TNT Tropang Giga, their only win in the import-laced conference in 13 games.
Despite getting knocked out of any playoff contention due to their disappointing 0-12 record, Nonoy and the rest of Terrafirma decided to play with their all in their final regular season game, resulting in a shocking upset against one of the best teams in the league.
The daredevil point guard from La Carlota, Negros Occidental torched the Tropang Giga after shooting an insane 5/6 from the three-point line and 2/3 from the four-point clip.
After the huge win, Nonoy capped off his stat-line with an efficient 10/13 shooting from the field alongside four rebounds and four assists.
Since his high school days in Iloilo City, Nonoy already proved that he could score the rock, leading Hua Siong to several secondary championship titles before moving to the UAAP.
Nonoy then slowly improved his three-point shooting upon setting foot in Manila and added another dimension to his lethal offensive bag.
Known as an aggressive guard who likes to attack the interior, Nonoy reached his collegiate career-high in three-point makes when he was recruited by the De La Salle University (DLSU) from the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
All Nonoy needed was a break when he declared for the PBA draft.
Against his idol, Jayson Castro, who is still lacing it up with the TNT, Nonoy didn’t held back and let the league know that he is just starting to heat up in the PBA.
Nonoy single-handedly answered every TNT basket and put the crowd on their feet when he buried a four-pointer as time expired at the end of the third frame.
When the Tropang Giga threatened to get close by going on a mini-run midway through the fourth, Nonoy once again played spoiler and halted their avalanche with a demoralizing four-pointer.
According to Nonoy, what fueled him in his performance was going up against Castro, his childhood idol whom he looked up to in the PBA.
“Kanina naging confident ako kasi gusto kong ma-challenge siya. Kasi idol ko yun e. Sobrang thankful ako kasi na-overcome ko rin yung kaba ko, nakalaro ako ng maayos,” said Nonoy.
