Explosive plays from National University standout Jonathan Fernandez, Edwin Osoro and Brian Ilad in the first half sealed the win for Talk N Text, which thrashed Shell-UCAA, 96-57, for its second straight triumph.
Conor Oreta and Darryl Bautista saved the day for Red Bull, which came away with a 67-60 verdict over Sta. Lucia-CUSA in this two-week tournament for 18-and-under players standing six feet and above.
Osoro, playing out of the Philippine College of Criminology, scattered 10 of 14 points in the first 10 minutes of play while his schoolmate Ilad delivered eight of his 12 points in the same span to give Talk N Text a 24-12 lead.
Fernandez fired a game-high 19 points, including three triples in the second period, to hand Talk N Text a big 20-point lead at 48-28.
Oreta and Bautista stopped a late rally by Sta. Lucia with a couple of treys with 43 seconds to go for a 65-60 edge.
In the third game, Coca-Cola National Youth Pool C got big points from four NCAA standouts as it tripped Ginebra-NCRAA, 87-70, to bounce back from a 64-75 setback to Talk N Text.
San Beda’s Nikki Ortega showed the way for Coca-Cola with 18 points while Letran’s PJ Walsham chipped in 12 markers with two other Red Cubs — Jay and Claiford Agbayani.
Arao and Archie David unloaded four treys in the second half in leading Coca-Cola to a 41-21 halftime edge.