Sparks foil Wiz, stay in hunt

Toyota Otis got back at a slumping Magnolia Purewater side, fashioning out a surprisingly easy 95-75 win even as Burger King tripped Hapee Toothpaste, 72-59, in the PBL PG Flex Linoleum Cup yesterday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Erick Rodriguez scattered 17 of his 22 points in the first half as the Sparks seized control early then sustained their pace in the final half for the victory, their fourth against six losses.

Rodriguez finished with a double-double job by hauling down 10 rebounds.

Chris Timberlake and John Wilson added 14 points apiece while James Sena and RJ Jazul scored 10 each as Toyota moved back in the hunt for a quarterfinal slot following three straight defeats.

The Wizards, foiled in their bid to clinch the other outright semifinal berth for the second straight game, slipped to 7-4 but remained in second behind Harbour Centre.

Earlier, NCAA star Ogie Menor poured in 16 of his 21 points in the final half as Burger King downed Hapee Toothpaste to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive.

Mac Baracael backed up Menor with 17 points as the Stunners improved their record to 4-7.

The loss dropped the Complete Protectors to solo fourth with a 5-6 record.

The Stunners exploded in the third period where they scored 25 points as they took a commanding 56-33 lead going into the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Burger King also shone in defense, holding its rival to just four points in the second quarter as the Stunners raced to a 31-23 lead.

Menor hit 9-of-13 shots from the field and finished with five rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes while Baracael made 6-of-10 baskets in 29 minutes of action.

“This game was great because we had a badly depleted lineup but I told them to forget all we have done in the past,” said Burger King head coach Allan Gregorio.