Taylor Statham picked up where he left off, erupting for another double-double outing to lead Statham Academy to a decisive 96-72 victory over Philippine Christian University (PCU) Dasmariñas in the 2023 Corsa Tires Asiabasket Dasmariñas Championship on Saturday at the Dasma Arena.
The American sharpshooter, who has Filipino roots, scored 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, adding six assists just 24 hours after an explosive 40-point and 20-rebound performance in their 117-96 opening win against the MisOr Mustangs on Friday.
With Statham leading the way, his team surged to an impressive 2-0 start in the tournament, taking the lead in Group A, which also includes MisOr (1-1), Makati Circus (1-1), and Pilipinas Aguilas (0-1).
The Dolphins, who were tapped as a last-minute replacement for Ateneo, dropped to 0-1.
Shawarma Shack also claimed sole leadership of Group B after a late pull-away victory against the still winless Dasmariñas Monarchs, 83-75, remaining unbeaten at 2-0.
Domark Matillano broke a 69-all tie with back-to-back triples to give Shawarma Shack a 75-69 lead, but Loren Brill narrowed it down to a three-point deficit with two free throws late in the fourth.
James Castro then made a layup, and Matillano sank a one-handed jumper in the final 30 seconds to seal the deal.
Matillano nearly achieved a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds, along with three assists and two steals, while former Ateneo FSA Chibueze Ikeh had a double-double effort with 17 points and 13 boards.
The win by Shawarma Shack dropped the Monarchs to a 0-2 record.
Meanwhile, Corsa Tires and MisOr both entered the win column after bounce-back victories against Phuket Waves and Makati Circus Music Festival, respectively.
Corsa, which suffered an 84-78 loss to Shawarma Shack yesterday, saw five players scoring in double digits, with 28-year-old forward Jaymar Gimpayan leading off the bench with 21 points, along with seven rebounds and three assists.
Jerome Garcia contributed 15 points, while RV Berjay and Edzel Magisa added 12 each.
MisOr, on the other hand, relied on guard Axel Doromal, who made three three-pointers on his way to scoring 24 points, along with five assists, three steals, and two rebounds, helping the Mustangs regain their footing after a lopsided loss to Statham Academy.
Aldeo Lucero also set a new league assist record with 16 assists while also securing 10 rebounds and four points in the win.
