San Pedro routs San Pablo in Liga Laguna

Standings: San Pablo (4-1), San Pedro (3-1), Cabuyao (3-1), Sta. Cruz (2-2), Nagcarlan (2-2), Calamba (2-2), Sta. Rosa (1-3), Cavinti (1-3), Pakil (0-3).

CABUYAO — San Pedro brought down erstwhile undefeated team and reigning defending champion San Pablo, 83-59, in the Liga Laguna Season 3 at the San Isidro Elementary School covered court just recently.

Journeyman Allan Mangahas caught fire when needed the most, hitting 15 points on 6-of10 shooting from the field as his near effortless yet so efficient game kept a hold of San Pedro’s solid game in the second half.

But Mangahas wasn’t the lone bright spot for the Data Force-supported San Pedro, which now climbed into a tie for second to third places with Cabuyao in the team standings with a 3-1 win-loss record while dealing San Pablo its first loss in the tournament after five games.

Mangahas — who played briefly in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Meralco Bolts when the team was still then being handled by coach Ryan Gregorio, and led Muntinlupa to a finals run in the inaugural staging of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League four years ago — got plenty of help from former University of Perpetual Help player John Arbis and and AJ Fransman.

Arbis, the 6-foot-5 stretch big, finished with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and four blocks while Fransman had 11 points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block. 

Also winning in the scheduled four-game bill of this tournament put up by Chairman Andrew Felix and vice chairman Raymond Ferrer with former PBA referee Joel Ngo serving as commissioner were host Cabuyao, Pakil and Sta. Cruz.

Cabuyao welcomed the return of head coach Alex Angeles as the Layba Trucking-backed squad outlasted fierce rival KDL Calamba, 87-79, in a heated encounter between two neighboring cities.

Shin Manacsa played his best game of the season aa he knocked in 26 points while Nikko Aguilar contributed 15, allowing Cabuyao to notch its second straight victory and dragging Calamba down into a three-way with Sta. Cruz and Nagcarlan.

Earlier, Sta. Cruz bucked a slow and needed an extra five-minute stretch before repulsing Macos Meats-supported Nagcarlan, 85-76.

Also winning was Cavinti, which finally made it to the win column after defeating the King Fadriquela-less Pakil, 68-59.