Rhagnee Sinco and Jaypee Belencion delivered standout performances as Iloilo’s Hua Siong College routed Xavier School, 79-49, to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the 40-years division Finals of the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Sinco was nearly unstoppable, knocking down eight of his 10 field goal attempts to lead the Lamtex Pipes-backed Hua Siong with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Belencion, meanwhile, capped his MVP campaign in style with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Their performances more than compensated for the off-night of two-time PBA MVP James Yap, who missed all 11 of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Yap finished just 3-of-20 from the field but still contributed nine points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Former UAAP MVP Ken Bono arrived late due to a prior commitment but still chipped in eight points in the game, which was witnessed by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and sportsman Caesar Wongchuking.
The decisive Game 3 is set for Friday at the same venue, with the Powersox-AcroCity-backed Xavier hoping star guard Chris Tiu can recover from the hamstring injury he sustained during the team’s 75-72 victory in Game 1.
Taking advantage of Tiu’s absence, Hua Siong seized control from the opening tip, stringing together several scoring runs to build a commanding 42-18 halftime lead. The Ilonggos never looked back, protecting their cushion before pulling away for the lopsided victory.
Xavier struggled mightily on the offensive end, with Joseph Yeo emblematic of the team’s woes. After erupting for 30 points in Game 1, Yeo was limited to just nine points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field.
Aside from Belencion, the Mythical First Team was composed of Christian Luanzon of St. Stephen’s, Sean Co of Chiang Kai Shek College, Albert Edsel Chua of Grace Christian College, and Alfie Martinez of Philippine Cultural College.
Yap, Bono, and Sinco headlined the Mythical Second Team, joining Philippine Cultural College’s Byron Gan and Grace Christian College’s Alexander Lao.
The league is backed by Smart Sports, Tanduay Athletics, Genius Hardware, Ultraforce Tires, Cellboy, PGFlex Linoleum, Boysen, Lamtex Pipes, Jiang Nan, Hangry Pares, Powerhouse Tools, L.F. Fireworks, BYD Valenzuela, BAIC, Jetour, Yong Kee Roasting House, 1118 Autospa, and TCL.
