Montaña rallies to beat Lee Pipes; Toyota wins

Unheralded Bryan Tolentino stepped up in the fourth quarter as Montaña Pawnshop rallied to beat Lee Pipes-Ateneo, 68-65, yesterday and nail its first win in three games in the second PBL Unity Cup at the Pasig Sports Center.

Tolentino, a member of the National University team that made the UAAP Final Four in 2001, scattered seven of his 13 points in the final period, including a pair of putbacks that broke the backs of the Eagles.

Montaña thus notched its first win following two straight defeats while Lee Pipes, which rode on 11 points apiece by Manalo, LA Tenorio and JC Intal, reeled to its third straight defeat.

The Jewels likewise dominated the shaded area, ruling the boards, 50-41. They also had six shot blocks – three by Alwyn Espiritu – against Lee Pipes’ two.

In the other game, Ronjay Enrile shot 27 points as Toyota Otis-Letran joined Montaña at 1-2 with a 77-68 win over Blu Star. The Detergent Kings slid to 0-3.

Jon Dan Salvador also shone for the Jewels as he provided the inside strength with a conference-high 16 rebounds while firing 17 points. BJ Manalo also pumped in seven of his 11 points for Lee Pipes-Ateneo in the fourth quarter but his potential game-tying three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim.