Streaking Bacoor pounded the boards and posted a 78-70 victory over Binan City on Friday in the 2019-20 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Cup at Strike Gymnasium in Cavite.
With Gab Banal scoring 21 and grabbing eight rebounds, King Destacamento tallying 14 points plus 14 rebounds, and Mark Montuano notching 10 points plus 10 rebounds, the Strikers pulled down 61 against only 46 for the Heroes.
As a result, the Strikers struck for 40 points in the paint, where the Heroes could only produce 26, towing them to their fifth straight win and a 14-3 record, right behind the front-running Davao Occidental Tigers, 14-2, in the South division.
The Heroes suffered their third straight defeat despite the 25-point effort of Mark Anthony Acosta and fell to 6-11 in the same division.
Banal also dished off seven assists and made two steals to earn best player honors and remain a strong bet to duplicate his MVP feat in the MPBL Datu Cup.
Riding the 20-point, 10-rebound output of John Ambulodto, the Caloocan Supremos led from start to finish and bested the skidding Bicol Volcanoes, 81-73, earlier.
Also in twin digits for the Victory Liner-supported Supremos were Paul Sanga with 14 points, JC Escalambre with 13, Thomas Torres with 12, and Rene Pacquiao with 11 apart from 11 rebounds.
Following their third straight win, the Supremos climbed to 10-7, good for a playoffs stint in the North division thus far, while the Volcanos dropped to 8-10 after their fifth straight defeat.
The Cebu City Sharks leaned on William McAloney’s 27-point, 17-rebound explosion to rout the Soccsksargen Marlins, 89-57, in the opener.
The Sharks, who got 10 points from Kevin Villafranca, climbed to 6-9.
Unable to connect from afar, 1-of-12 triple tries, the Marlins got mired at 0-15, the only winless team in a big field of 31.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, MPBL founder, and CEO, were among the thousands in attendance.
