Hibernians’ Mason Hix won the Malta Basketball Association (MBA) Player of the Month award for the month of December.
The award, presented on Sunday before the Paolites’ matchup against Athleta, celebrated a month of double-doubles for the US forward who joined the side over the summer. In fact, Hix managed to finish December with four double-doubles, one in every game played.
In a much-improved run from Mario Tabone’s clan this new season, Hix was a standout performer, with centre Ivan Demcesen and compatriot Calvin Whipple, the latter conceding to an ACL injury that saw his season end unexpectedly.
Hix finished the month second in assists after Starlites’ Ian Felice Pace with an average of 5.3 dimes a game. However, his greatest statement came with 94 points in four games to average 23.5 points per game. Completing his double-doubles was an average of 13 rebounds a game. He was also consistent in his play to avoid turnovers, averaging just 4.25 a game.
The 23-year-old joined Hibs in June with Whipple as a replacement for last season’s import player Justin Bogle. Since then, the 6’8 forward, who moved to Malta after his two-year National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division Two stint with St Edward’s College, has improved his contribution drastically, going from single-digits averages to team-leading numbers.
This has been beneficial as Hibs are 5-3 in the league and looking likely to go on into the postseason, a major rise from previous seasons in which the Paolites had struggled and eventually failed to make the playoffs.
With the MAPFRE MSV Life Women’s League and the BOV Division Two League having fewer games than the men’s league, the MBA has opted to join the award with that of January, to be presented in February.
Before Hix, Athleta’s Malik Riddle won the November award, and Mellieha Libertas’ Tedrick Wolfe scored the first award of the season for October.
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