Manila-Valenzuela battle in the MPBL.
MPBL: Manila bounces back at home vs Valenzuela
VETERAN power forward Carl Bryan Cruz shone brightest as Manila SV Batang Sampaloc brought down Valenzuela, 90-76 in a highly-physical battle in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season elimination round at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.
Cruz, who played for the Alaska Milk in the PBA in 2016, before moving to the MPBL this year, came through with f 15 points and 10 rebounds in leading Manila to its fifth win against three losses in the prestigious 29-team tournament organized by Sen.Manny Pacquiao.
It was the fourth time in five games this season that the 6-4 former Far Eestern University star has picked up “Player of the Game” honors for Manila.
Shawn Umali topscored with 19 points and seven rebounds and Pao Javelona and Enzo Navarro added nine points each for Manila, which opted not to field in veteran recruit Greg Slaughter.
.Back-to-back triples by Javelona and Cruz against a lone jumper by Ladis Lepalam of Valenzuela enabled the Stars to a take a commanding 72-54 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Chris De Chavez and Jameson Hiro tried to put Valenzuela back in the game at 68-76, but Manila answered back behind Fil-Am DJ Mitchell’s two triples to make it 84-73, with only two minutes left.
De Chavez finished with 12 points, , all in the fourth quarter, while Dennis Santos added 10 points and five rebounds from Dennis Santos.
Sharing the limelight were Nueva Ecija, which drubbed Bulacan, 105-66, and Sarangani Marlins, who subdued Imus Agimat VA Drones, 106-101,
The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards kept pounding till the end to record their sixth straight victory in as many starts that pushed them in the company of the San Juan Knights and the Quezon Huskers.
.JB Bahio led the Rice Vanguards with 17 points and 6 rebounds, followed by Emman Calo with 14 points.
Bulacan, which dropped to 1-8, got 11 points each from Andrei Simon Dada and Kristan Hernandez and 10 from Nino Ibanez.
Earlier, the Sarangani Marlins leaned on Ryan Isaac Sual’s hot hands and King Zean Destacamento’s triple-double to subdue Imus Agimat VA Drones and improve to 2-6.
Sual tallied 25 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals to complement the 15-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist, 4-block output of the 6-foot-5 Destacamento.
Homegrown Jomar Madayag tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds while Yukihiro Kawamura and Gino Jumao-as contributed 10 points each for the Marlins.
.Imus tumbled to 0-8 despite the 31-point, 7-rebound effort of John Rey Sumido, the 13-point, 18-rebound output of Luis Tapenio and the 11-point and 11-rebound contribution of Eugene Gonzales.
The scores:
First game
Sarangani (106) — Sual 25, Madayag 18, Destacamento 15, Kawamura 10, Jumao-as 10, Valenzuela 7, Roque 6, Alves 5, Callano 4, Gaa 2, Clarino 2, Benedictos 2, Peralta 0, Peralta 0, Diputado 0, Oftana 0.
Imus (101) — Sumido 31, Tapenio 13, Gonzales 11, Enriquez 9, Aniban 9, Luengco 6, Camacho 6, Kadir 6, Popovic 6, Paraiso 2, Malimban 2, Gimpayan 0, Nacino 0, Nicodemus 0, Punzalan 0.
Quarterscores: 24-22, 49-49, 81-71, 106-101.
Second game
Nueva Ecija (105) — Bahio 17, Calo 14, Costelo 11, Maguilano 11, Arenas 9, Robles 8, Magbuhos 7, McAloney 7, Cullar 7, Collado 5, Ayaay 5, Cosejo 4, Mocon 0, Balucanag 0, Derige 0.
Bulacan (66) — 66 – Dada 11, Hernandez 11, Ibanez 10, Carandang 8, Jabel 6, Manzo 6, Osicos 5, Mallari 4, Montero 2, Viernes 2, Ajero 1, Celis 0, Andales 0, Santiago 0.
Quarterscores: 23-16, 46-34, 76-56, 105-66.
Third game
Manila (90) — Umali 19, Cruz 15, Javelona 9, Navarro 9, Mitchell 8, Tempra 8, Hanapi 7, Escandor 6, Battaller 5, Al-Hussaini 4, Cuya 0, Slaughter 0, Flores 0, Jamon 0, Gonzaga 0.
Valenzuela (76) — De Chavez 12, Santos 10, Catacutan 9, Manliguez 8, Hiro 8, Macion 6, Chauca 5, Lepalam 4, Payawal 4, Armenion 2, Dela Cruz 2, Delos Santos 2, Gotladera 2, Quinahan 2, Diego 0.
Quarterscores: 15-15, 41-32, 56-48, 90-76.
