THE hard work is finally paying off for Aris Dionisio.
The 6-foot-4 forward guided Magnolia to a quarterfinals berth in the PBA Governors' Cup after shooting a career-best 30 points in a 110-94 rout of Northport over the weekend.
Dionisio highlighted his special night by firing a new franchise record nine three pointers on 9-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc and 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Former Purefoods point guard Boyet Fernandez held the previous mark of the team for the most number of three point shots made with eight achieved during the 2001 season.
A product of Saint Clare College, Dionisio said constant practice and additional shooting routine helped him stay consistent with his game.
Sponsored content:
"Every day hindi talaga ako puwedeng hindi mag-shooting. And kapag kaya pa ng katawan ko after practice, magsu-shooting pa ako. Siguro nag-bunga din yung extra practice ko, extra shooting kaya na-achieve ko ito," said the 29-year-old gunner from Bustos, Bulacan.
"Kailangan din kasi namin itong panalo para makapasok sa playoffs."
Dionisio's scoring explosion couldn't have come at a perfect time especially after import Shabazz Muhammad sat out the game due to a swollen knee.
Coach Chito Victolero though, was no longer surprised with the way Dionisio shot the lights out of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
"He deserved it because this guy works hard in practice," said the champion coach. "We expect Aris to grow this season and we talked about that before the start of the conference. Kinausap namin siya na we need his offense and pati na yung versatility niya sa depensa."
Sponsored content:
Dionisio's breakout game certainly was a huge lift for Magnolia, which eyes a better placing going to the quarterfinals as it caps its group stage campaign on Monday with a clash against Converge.
Both the Hotshots and FiberXers are tied at no. 3 in Group A with similar 5-4 records.(RG)
