FAVORITES HOLD SWAY IN D-LEAGUE
Hapee flexed its muscle and clobbered Tanduay, 73-53, Thursday in the 2015 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena.
After a shaky first game, the Fresh Fighters finally lived up to their potential as Garvo Lanete kickstarted the rout, scoring 11 in the first half as Hapee went on to erect an 18-point halftime lead, 39-21. He finished with 16 points on top of six boards and five dimes to lead the Fresh Fighters to the win.
Ola Adeogun added 13 points and eight rebounds, as Bobby Ray Parks chipped in 12 markers and seven boards for Hapee.
“We played better than the first game but it will take us more effort to sustain this kasi mabibigat yung teams,” said Hapee coach Ronnie Magsanoc. “We just have to be on our toes and yung learning curve as a team, dapat andun every time every day.”
Hapee got to a hot start as they dominated the game all through out, erecting a 39-21 halftime lead, which even ballooned to 30, 55-25, before the third quarter ended.
Roi Sumang helped the Rhum Masters with his 13 points, as Tanduay played without their suspended coach Lawrence Chongson. Robin Roño also contributed 10 markers in the losing effort.
In the first game, Cagayan Valley escaped a surging Bread Story-LPU squad with a 97-94 win to stay on top of the standings.
Michael Mabulac led the Rising Suns with a complete game of 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, while Jason Melano nabbed 19 markers and nine rebounds. Alexander Austria also tallied a double-double in the win with his 13 points and 10 dimes.
Bread Story made an inspired run in the second half, punctuated with a three-pointer from Jebb Bulawan in the last 10.7 seconds to cut the once 18-point deficit to just three.
Randy Dilay turned the ball over in the inbounds play, but Louie Vigil could not drain his potential game-tying three.
Joseph Gabayni paced Bread Story-LPU with his 27 points, nine boards, and four blocks in the loss, while Vigil ended up with 15 markers.
In the second game, Mon Abundo came through for CafeFrance as they fended off Racal Motors, 67-56.
Abundo, the CEU’s starting point guard, anchored the Bakers’ 9-0 finishing kick and scored the squad’s final five points to grab a share of the lead. He led CafeFrance with 12 points and four rebounds.
The Bakers squandered a 20-point lead after grabbing a 30-10 advantage in the second quarter when Jamil Ortuoste went wild in the third period after scoring 13 in the quarter.
Racal Motors continued the rally in the fourth and nipped the lead to just two, 58-56, after Jeff Viernes nailed a three-point bomb. But the Alibaba went sour since then, and the Bakers went on to have the 9-0 run to end the game.
Ortuoste wounded up with 15 points for Racal (0-2), while Viernes chimed in 12.
The Scores:
First Game
Cagayan Valley 97 – Mabulac 24, Melano 19, Austria 13, Dilay 12, Trollano 12, Capacio 6, Flores 4, Galliguez 3, Salamat 2, Tayongtong 2, Mag-isa 0, Olayon 0, Hernandez 0.
Bread Story-LPU 94 – Gabayni 27, Vigil 15, Gamboa 13, Corpuz 11, Daquioag 11, Jalalon 7, Zamora 5, Bulawan 3, Lasa 2, Baltazar 0, Lao 0, Taladua 0.
Quarters: 27-13, 49-36, 73-62, 97-94.
Second Game
CafeFrance 67 – Huertas 12, Abundo 12, Ahanmisi 10, Jeruta 7, De Leon 7, Batino 6, Andrada 5, Ebondo 5, Sedurifa 2, Cortez 1, Galanza 0, Noble 0.
Racal Motors 56 – Ortuoste 15, Viernes 12, Saitanan 7, Asuncion 6, Ruaya 6, Gil 5, Ibay 2, Jamito 2, Redoh 1, Gabawan 0, Managuelod 0.
Quarters: 21-10, 41-26, 52-43, 67-56.
Third Game
Hapee 73 – Lanete 16, Adeogun 13, Parks 12, Amer 7, Newsome 6, Van Opstal 5, dela Cruz 4, Hayes 4, Koga 3, Thompson 2, Rosario 1, Mendoza 0, Long 0, Sorela 0.
Tanduay Light 53 – Sumang 13, Roño 10, Foronda 8, Ilagan 6, Abrigo 5, de Leon 3, De Vera 2, Banal 2, Belencion 2, Tagarda 2, Mandani 0, Ignacio 0, Jumao-as 0, Cenal 0.
Quarters: 19-6, 39-21, 55-30, 73-53.
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