Bulacan nips Batangas; QC, Nueva Ecija prevail

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 11:14:16 +0000

THE Bulacan Kuyas withstood the Batangas City Athletics’ final assault to prevail, 82-81, on Wednesday and rev up their playoff drive in the Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Season at the Olivarez College Gymnasium in Parañaque City.

Comfortably ahead at 79-67 going to the last two minutes, the Kuyas were jolted by a 10-point salvo dropped by the Athletics’ Jeff Viernes and Jason Melano with five points each.

Bulacan’s JR Alabanza shoots against his Batangas defender.

Lester Alvarez, a former Athletic, canned a free throw and Aden Diputado scored on a layup to cushion the four-point windup of Batangas’ Dan Sara and Genmar Bragais and hand Bulacan its third straight win for a 15-8 record in the North division, where the top eight will advance to the playoffs.

The Tanduay-backed Athletics, the inaugural Rajah Cup champions, suffered their second straight defeat and fell to 13-9 in the South division, where eight teams will also advance.

Homegrown Dennis Santos powered the Kuyas to their third straight win with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, followed by John Ray Alabanza with 13 points and Diputado with 12.

Batangas drew 23 points and 8 rebounds from Melano, 14 points from Viernes, 13 from Jayson Grimaldo and 11 from Bragais.

The Quezon City Capitals struggled past the Marikina Shoemasters, 77-76, in overtime while the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards subdued the Paranaque Patriots
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