Matt Nieto reaping rewards of hardwork over off season

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Matt Nieto just went from twin brother to just about anything for Ateneo.

Joining the team in 2015 together his twin brother Mike, Matt struggled to find his form in the first two seasons with the Blue Eagles as he averaged just 4.4 points as an on-and-off rotation player.

Season 78 eventually saw Matt develop into his own as he grew into one of Ateneo’s main offensive threats.

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In Season 80, Matt has more than doubled his career scoring average to 10.8 points to become Ateneo’s leading scorer behind Thirdy Ravena, who averages 17.4 a game.

“I’m just doing my job, I’m just finding open lanes, looking for my teammates, and it’s just a bonus that I can make my shots,” said Nieto Wednesday after the Blue Eagles’ 94-84 win over University of Santo Tomas.

He exploded for a career-high 22 points against the winless Tigers in an impressive shooting display as he went 7-of-12 from the field.

Matt said this increase in production is the product of an intenstive personal preseason workout.

“Maybe I just improved since last season, I just really practiced hard during the summer break,” said Matt. “I’m thankful for my coaches and my teammates for giving the confidence.”