Nueva Ecija dumps Bicol
DEFENDING champion Nueva Ecija flaunted the depth of its bench in a 129-86 thrashing of Bicol on Thursday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Pitted against the league’s cellar dwellers, the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards led by as many as 50 points (129-59) before cruising to their 21st win against four losses in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
Homegrowns Harvey Pagsanjan, Dondon Arenas and Bobby Balucanag and acquisitions Sherwin Concepion shone for Nueva Ecija, which trailed only Pampanga (22-2) in the North division standings.
Pagsanjan tallied 19 points plus 4 rebounds, Arenas scored 15 points, including 11 in the second quarter where Nueva Ecija stormed ahead, 66-39; while Balucanag added 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Concepcion wound up with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, while Catacutan notched 14 points and 6 rebounds.
With the game under wraps, Nueva Ecija Coach Jerson Cabiltes opted to field his mainstays sparingly, leaving John Bryon Villarias as the only double-digit scorer among the veterans with 10.
Bicol, which tumbled to 1-25, got 25 points from Alfren Gayosa and Ralph Deles with 16.
The MPBL will take a break from August 25 to Sept. 10 for the FIBA World Cup to be co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
It will resume on September 11 with a double-header at the Zamboanga City Coliseum pitting Batangas against Quezon Province at 6 p.m. and Nueva Ecija against Zamboanga at 8 p.m.
