Burger King thwarts Pharex for joint 2nd

Former pro Abe Santos dished out a double-double performance as Burger King scuttled Pharex, 82-78, yesterday to gain a share of second place behind four-peat champion Harbour Centre in the PBL Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Santos powered his way to game highs 17 points and 11 rebounds while Marcy Arellano hit seven of his 11 points in the stretch as the Whoppers nailed their fifth win in seven games for joint second with their victim.

It was, however, Arellano who delivered the shot that mattered most as he scored on a three-point play that gave Burger King a four-point cushion in the final 33.5 seconds of the contest.

The Whoppers also drew 13 and 11 points from Khiel Misa and Nestor David, respectively.

The Whoppers also shone in defense as they broke a number of Pharex offensive thrusts in the clutch.

In the other game, Noosa Shoes drew strength from reigning NCAA MVP Kelvin dela Peña as it walloped Bacchus Energy Drink, 88-73, for its third win in as many defeats.

It was the Raiders’ fifth setback against two triumphs.

“We found a way to neutralize their outside shooting and we held them below their 93-point per game average. Defense definitely did it for us,” said Burger King coach Allan Gregorio.

Conrad Fritz Bauzon, one of the league’s streak-shooters, fired 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a triple with 51.3 seconds to go that closed them within, 78-79.

But Arellano spoiled their comeback with a crucial three-point play.

The Whoppers also pounced on the sidelining of Francis Allera, who sprained his right ankle in the first half and finished with just two points in seven minutes. Allera normed 17.5 points in the Medics last two victories.

With Santos on the firing end, the Whoppers set the pace early as they raced to an 18-10 lead and kept a 42-35 advantage at the turn.

Thwarting every Pharex attack with a resolute defense, Burger King stretched its lead to another double-digit spread, 69-58, heading to the last six minutes of the contest.

Bauzon then took over for Pharex, unloading a 12-point binge he capped with a triple  as the Medics moved within, 78-79, with less than a minute left.

But it turned out to be the closest that the Medics could get as Arellano rolled in a three-point play and Burger King foiled Bauzon’s shot before forcing Don Villamin to turn the ball over to preserve the victory.

“We know they’re going to make that run, I’m glad we held on,” said Gregorio.