Olivarez College continued its strong run in the UCAL-PGFlex Linoleum 7th Season, claiming its second consecutive win with an 88-77 victory over Manila Central University on Thursday at the Paco Arena in Manila.
Leading the charge for the Sea Lions were Hanz Maykong, Hakim Njiasse, Rodel Renon, and Jhon Patrick Panello, who powered the team to a dominant 29-10 lead in the opening quarter.
Olivarez maintained this commanding advantage throughout the game, staying undefeated in the 10-team tournament.
In the day’s second game, the University of Batangas improved to 2-1 with a hard-fought 95-90 win over three-peat-seeking Centro Escolar University.
Ryan Briones led the Brahmans with 25 points, while four other players scored in double figures. Despite falling behind 31-17 in the first quarter, UB held off a fierce CEU comeback to secure the win.
Olivarez College’s latest victory followed a dominant 92-75 win over Immaculada Concepcion College last Monday, a performance that helped solidify their spot as one of the tournament’s top teams which is supported by Akari, CafeFrance, Advance Solutions Inc., Smart Sports, Spalding, Team Rebel Sports, Quintana Sports, Crane Faucet, Hapee Toothpaste, Jiang Nan Restaurant, Vital, Top Flite Academy, Maruyama, and Gerry’s Grill.
Njiasse was once again a standout for Olivarez, matching his previous performance with 21 points, 20 rebounds, and 8 assists — up from the 4 assists he had in the win over ICC.
Maykong added 16 points, while Renon and Panello contributed 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, MCU slipped to a 1-1 record despite a strong 22-point performance from Dennis Laconsay.
The Supremos, who had won their opener against University of Batangas, 95-90, were unable to overcome Olivarez’s dominant play.
