San Juan withstands Manila in MPBL

MANILA, Philippines – The San Juan Knights weathered the Manila Stars' final assaults to prevail, 80-78, on Monday and sustain their hot streak in the 6th MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Season at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Orlan Wamar and Nikko Panganiban scored nine points each in the fourth quarter to save the game for San Juan, which endured Manila SV Batang Sampaloc's three scoring spurts from 12 points down, 50-62, to notch its 12th straight win and climb to 21-1 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.

The Knights are right behind the pacesetting Pampanga Giant Lanterns, who are on a 22-game roll after an initial loss.

Manila threatened at 78-80 following two free throws by Enzo Navarro with 6.6 ticks to go and got another reprieve when Panganiban muffed two charities with 5.3 ticks left.

Carl Bryan Cruz, however, failed to beat the buzzer in the ensuring play and Manila went down to 16-7 in Coach Ariel Vanguardia's debut.

Wamar posted 21 points, seven assists and four rebounds to clinch the Daily Fantasy Best Player honors over Panganiban, who finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, and AC Soberano, who tallied 14 points and 9 rebounds.

The Manila Stars drew 16 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, from Joshua Torralba; 15 points plus eight rebounds from 7-footer Greg Slaughter, 11 points from Cruz, and nine points plus nine assists from Navarro.

Manila, with Torralba drilling in back-to-back triples, Pao Javelona adding another 3-pointer and Navarro driving in against a layup by Panganiban, crept within 68-70, still 3:03 to go.

San Juan, however, bunched seven points, capped by Panganiban's triple, to stay afloat, 77-68, time down to 1:34.

The Quezon Huskers battered the Bulacan Kuyas, 79-51, behind Judel Fuentes and Ximone Sandagon, in the opener to climb to 18-3.

Fuentes posted 15 points, including three triples, and three rebounds; while Sandagon notched 11 points and five rebounds for the Huskers, who led by as far as 79-50 in holding the rein in the South Division.

Other Huskers who delivered were RJ Minerva with eight points and six rebounds; Robin Rono with 8 points, all in the fourth quarter; and Lucena City Mayor Mark Alcala with eight points, all in the second quarter, plus 4 assists and 3 rebounds.

The also-ran Kuyas tumbled to 2-22 as only Jan Baltazar struck back with 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Led by Gab Banal's eight rebounds, Quezon controlled the boards, 52-43, resulting to more points in the paint, 36-22, and fast break points, 35-8.

Quezon City trounced depleted Bacolod, 120-77, in the second game to improve to 10-13.

The Quezon City TODA Aksyon Capitals were spearheaded by Abdul Sawat with 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals, and Jynno Ladimo with 16 points and six assists.

Bacolod, which showed up with only five players, tumbled to a league-worst 1-22 card.

The MPBL goes to the Alonte Sports Arena on Tuesday with a triple bill pitting Paranaque against Marikina at 4 p.m., Pasay against Caloocan at 6 p.m., and Nueva Ecija against host Bulacan at 8 p.m.