Landmasters bag Liga crown

GEN SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue blasted MP Warriors of GenSan, 76-65, to annex its third weekly championship at the close of the General Santos City leg of the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V at the GMP Sports Complex here over the weekend. 

The victory also clinched the overall championship for the Landmasters heading to the last leg in Cagayan de Oro City next week.

Ariel Capus hit three triples in the fourth quarter and finished with 27 points while Mark Magsumbol and Marlon Basco also came through with timely baskets to scuttle the MP Warriors’ fightback.

Capus made an impressive 11 of 14 shots and came away with eight rebounds to likewise bag the MVP honors while Magsumbol and Basco added 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Louie Medalla scored 13 points while Jonathan Parreno added nine points for the Warriors, who kept the game close in the first three quarters but lost steam down the stretch.

Mandaue coach Jun Tan also became the sixth coach in Liga history to win three or more weekly titles after Raul Alcoseba, Jun Noel, Nomar Isla, Oliver Bunyi and Bing Victoria.

Meanwhile, the Ilocos Sur CS Tigers took third place with an 82-79 win over the Laguna Golden Lions.

The Tigers picked up three points and finished the Tour Phase with 15, a point better than the MP Warriors.

The Golden Lions had 19 points to assure themselves of a stint in the Super Leg.

Ariel de Castro led the Tigers with 18 points while Chito Jaime added 11 points and Warren Ybanez dished off 11 assists.

Glenn Bolocon set a new conference standard of 30 points while EJ Feihl scored 14 points and hauled down eight rebounds for Laguna.

Meanwhile, the Misamis Oriental Meteors will host the sixth and final leg starting Wednesday at the Xavier University gym as they tangle with Mandaue, GenSan and the defending national champion M. LhuillierKwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos. 

Liga Pilipinas is backed by San Miguel, Molten, Summit Natural Drinking Water and Accel.