Hapee-PCU topples crippled Kettle Korn

Hapee-PCU crushed a badly-depleted Kettle Korn-UST side, 88-73, yesterday to get back into the thick of things in the PBL Silver Cup at the Emilio Aguinaldo College gym in Manila.

Jason Castro came away with 18 points as the Teethmasters finally came out strong after dropping their last three games.

"Finally, we rediscovered how to win again," said Hapee coach Jun Noel. "I had a long talk with my boys the other day and we figured it out the problems besetting the team."

In the second game, Cebuana Lhuillier Pera Padala outsteadied Magnolia Ice Cream in a torrid shootout to score a 75-70 win — thanks to the razzle-dazzle performance of Don Dulay.

Dulay fired crucial points in the payoff period as the Moneymen improved to 4-5. The Spinners absorbed their third straight defeat for a 2-7 mark.

With their run-and-gun game in full steam, the Teethmasters turned what started as a close contest into a rout as they exploded for 22 points in the second quarter while limiting the Pop Kings to just eight points for a 41-28 lead at the turn.

"We employed our system of play and that made the difference," said Noel.

"Hopefully, we could keep the fire so that we have a chance to get an outright semis berth," said team manager Bernard Yang.

However, the Teethmasters need to beat Cebuana Lhuillier Pera Padala next week to gain a playoff for one of two outright semis berths. A loss would send the team into the second knockout phase.

Already missing the services of top gun Jojo Duncil, the Pop Kings played without four more key players in Warren de Guzman, Jun Cortez, Mark Canlas and Dylan Ababou due to various injuries.

The Pop Kings reeled to their ninth straight loss.

With Castro and Mark Borboran at the helm, the Teethmasters dominated almost all departments.

In one stretch, the Teethmasters built a commanding 75-48 lead that forced Noel to use his second unit.

Borboran, who averaged only 4.3 points in the team’s last three games, scored 11 points this time while Robert Sanz, Larry Rodriguez and Roel Hugnatan scored 10 points each to typify Hapee’s depth and firepower.