Gamboa Coffee rips JRU; Mila’s Lechon withdraws

MANILA, Philippines — Gamboa Coffee Mix-St. Clare’s drubbed Jose Rizal University, 93-76, to keep its surge while AMA Online edged Batangas-Emilio Aguinaldo College, 96-93, in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao yesterday.

Trevis Jackson, Chris Bitoon and Aris Dionisio combined for 27 points as the Coffee Lovers rode on a big third quarter run to blast the Bombers and hike their card to 2-1.

Gamboa Coffee Mix actually notched its third straight victory after an opening game loss but its win over Mila’s Lechon was forfeited following the Mighty Roasters withdrawal from the league yesterday.

The sudden pullout was due to “internal problems,” according to team owner Aika Salanguit and it came after Mila’s Lechon took a 55-102 loss to Zark’s Burgers-LPU last Thursday.

This prompted the PBA’s technical committee to summon Mila’s Lechon head coach Jesse Ricardo and assistant coach Edward Deveza last Friday and the Mighty Roasters yesterday.

Earlier, James Martinez split his charities with 9.9 seconds to go then the Titans watched the Generals flub their last two attempts at the three-point arc to clinch the victory, their first in four games.

AMA looked headed to a big romp after storming to a 28-point lead, 54-26, early in the third. But Batangas-EAC fought back and threatened to within two, 93-95, on a triple by Jerome Garcia but ran out of time.

The Generals fell to 0-4.