Behind Mark Cruz, the Tanduay Rhum Masters moved to solo second place with an 86-72 win over the Victoria Sports-MLQU Stallions, Tuesday afternoon in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at JCSGO Gym in Cubao.
The 5-foot-6 guard orchestrated the Rhum Masters pullaway, dropping all of his 22 points in the first half, as he went on a 5-of-6 shooting from threes, alongside four assists and three rebounds.
Raphy Reyes chipped in 10 markers, four assists, and three boards, while Jaymo Eguilos missed out on a double-double of nine points and 10 rebounds as Tanduay rose up to a 3-1 record.
The Rhum Masters allowed Victoria Sports to recover, as their 18-point lead, 39-21, in the second quarter, turned to just a four-point advantage, 63-59, to end the third frame, with Aris Dionisio leading the fight for their foes.
Tanduay, though, unleashed a telling 11-0 tear to open the fourth, taking a 74-59 lead and sealing the game for good.
“Bilog ang bola eh,” said coach Lawrence Chongson. “Yung kalaban naman, they won’t lie down and play dead. Pero for us, we just wanted to continue our progress and our buildup especially towards our next games.”
Tanduay shot 47 percent from the field, sizzling from distance — going 10-of-18 from beyond-the-arc. Victoria Sports-MLQU struggled, shooting at a 32 percent clip.
Dionisio led the still-winless Victoria Sports (0-3) with 16 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks, while Edsel Mag-isa had 14 markers and three assists in the loss.
Both teams will have their next matches next week, with Victoria Sports going first on February 13, Monday, versus AMA Online Education. Tanduay will play the next day, February 14, against Racal Ceramica. Both games are set at 5:00 PM and will take place at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.
The Scores:
Tanduay 86 – Cruz 22, Reyes 10, Eguilos 9, Quinto 9, Sanga 9, Santos 9, Sollano 8, Palma 5, Raymundo 3, Cenal 2, Ibay 0, Napoles 0, Varilla 0.
Victoria Sports-MLQU 72 – Dionisio 16, Mag-isa 14, Nicholls 12, Lao 6, Bitoon 5, Koga 5, Grimaldo 4, Sorela 4, Herndon 3, Ragasa 3, Butron 0.
Quarterscores: 27-17, 53-38, 63-59, 86-72.
