Team Pacman of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao rode on the endgame heroics of prolific outside gunner Jingjing Rama to shackle Club Monday, 87-72, in the continuing action of the 1st MP Cup Invitational basketball tournament at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.
For the first time in five games, Rama topped Team Pacman’s scoring chart with 17 points spiked with five 3-pointers, three of which he sank in the final five-minute mark of the contest that bridged their way to a 15-point demolition of Club Monday.
Actually, Team Pacman trailed by five after the first period, 20-25, but charged back like a raging bull in the next two quarters, 43-32, to wrest the drivers seat, 63-57, entering the last 10 minutes of play.
The gritty Club Monday mainstays threatened several times, but Rama quelled their comeback hopes with his crucial time bombs.
Rama was heavily backed up by Buchoy Pumareja with 15 points, while Noel Talas and Joel Gallego connived for 27 markers as Team Pacman bettered its win-loss record to 4-1.
Ondong Garcia had 16 points followed by Jonas Jumalon with 15 for Club Monday, which stayed winless after three games.
In the other game, Casino Filipino-Mactan escaped with a 66-59 victory over the listless Cebu Dental Society (CDS).Eric Relampagos paced Casino Filipino-Mactan with 16 points, while Kenneth Floro and Ricky Tamarra had 24 points combined as they notched their only second win in five starts. CDC crashed to its fourth straight loss in as many games.
The scores
First game
Casino Filipino-Mactan (66) - Relampagos 16, Tamarra 13, Floro 11, Aspillaga 6, Riagola 6, Sanchez 6, Babalan 6, Borromeo 3
CDC (59) - Siroy 17, Ursabia 10, Arcilla 8, Bardoquillo 4, Acurin 4, Bacalla 3, Mumar 2, Doque 2, Carpio 2
Second game
Pacman (87) - J. Rama 17, Pumareja 15, Talas 14, Gallego 13, Navarro 8, Baclay 6, Gomez 6, Gerali 6, Ygpit 4
Club Monday (72) - Garcia 16, Jumalon 15, Nepomuceno 11, Perez 10, De Leon 6, Adolfo 6, Monterroyo 4, Tabucanon 2, Del Mar 2 — EBV