MANILA, Philippines -- Sports5 bounced back with a big win over Alisto while Unang Hirit and iJuander remained on top of their groups in the GMA Basketball League Season 5 at the UP-Ayala Techno Hub Gym over the weekend.
United Football League analyst Cedelf Tupas fired a personal tournament-high 33 points to lead the undermanned Sports5 to a rousing 73-56 win over Alisto.
The win came after a narrow loss to group A leader Unang Hirit the previous week.
Tupas, shot an astounding 14-of-17 from the field, while Radyo PBA anchor Chiqui Reyes steadied the ship for Sports5, which only played with seven players. Reyes delivered an all-around performance collecting 15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
PBA and Kwentong Gilas segment producer Merv Villar and courtside host/writer Jutt Sulit combined for 17 points as they filled up the absence of key players Chu Villar, Nic Earnshaw and Coy Yupangco. Sports5 led by as many as 19 to negate the deeper rotation of Alisto. Their second win in three starts, however, came with a heavy price for the guest team as PBA anchor Magoo Marjon, who had seven points and two boards in his league debut, suffered a fractured finger.
Alisto waged a big fightback in the fourth quarter cutting the large deficit to just six, 58-52, but Tupas answered with a huge triple to stop the rally. The stocky shooter went straight to the airport to catch his flight to Pyongyang for his Azkals-North Korea coverage right after the big win.
Omar Avendano led Alisto with 16 points and seven rebounds as they went down the cellar with their second loss in three games.
Meanwhile, former MVP Paulo Armenta and Benson dela Paz had 26 and 15 points, respectively, as the five-man iJuander team chalked up its second straight win in a 70-55 rout of BJFC to stay on top of their group with a 3-1 win-loss mark.
Unang Hirit followed up its close win over Sports5 last week by blasting past PPL, 85-68, in the league presented by AND1 and SPJ Fried Chicken.
Unang Hirit climbed back from 13 points down to move up to 3-1.
PPL was leading by 13 until Juanito Quiamco, known as Papa Jepoy of Brgy. LS 97.1 FM, hit a 26-foot buzzer beating heave to end the first half.
Quiamco, TV hosts Neil See and JC Tiuseco took turns in the third quarter as Unang Hirit finally wrested control, 62-59, and never looked back.
In the final game, Cj Zarcal's 19 points and five rebounds led Pit Bulls to an 82-58 victory over RMHS '94.
On Sunday in the same venue, Unang Hirit will try to stay hot against winless RMHS '94 at 2 p.m. while Pit Bulls will be looking for win no. 2 against BJFC at 3:15 p.m.
iJuander will be eyeing to stay on top against Alisto at 4:30 p.m. even as Sports5 hopes to make it two in a row against PPL in the last game at 5:45 p.m.