Jio Jalalon turned Wednesday night into something he won’t forget, as he notched a rare triple-double in the Magnolia Hotshots’ 133-99 dismantling of the Blackwater Elite at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
The former Arellano University Chief – a triple-double machine during his college years – tallied 13 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in just 23 minutes and 48 seconds to record his first-ever triple-double in the pro league.
“Lagi ko naman china-challenge yang batang yan,” said head coach Chito Victolero. “He’s a sophomore but sinasabi ko sa kanya madami pa siyang ilalabas. Pero ‘di pa rin diyan nagtatapos e, he has to work on his consistency.”
With the huge win over the surging Elite, the Hotshots collected their fourth straight victory to go 6-1 in the standings, which means that they are now a step closer to booking a spot in the quarterfinals.
“Before this game we’re worried about Blackwater. We know na yung nilalaro nila ngayon mataas, so we need to match it up. Happy ako sa players ko kasi lahat ng challenges ko nagagawa nila,” lauded Victolero.
Romeo Travis set the pace for Magnolia with 22 points along with 12 rebounds and seven assists. Paul Lee produced 19 points and five boards, Mark Barroca had 16 points and five dimes, while Ian Sangalang added 15 markers.
Magnolia started to gain control of the match as early as the opening frame. Down by a point, the Hotshots zoomed to a 15-2 blitz to take a 27-15 lead with 3:14 left, a lead which they would never give up the rest of the way.
They would go on to lead by as many as 38, after seldom-used Gryann Mendoza’s triple with five minutes left to play.
Though he was ejected from the game with 1:24 left in the third quarter, Henry Walker top-billed for the Elite – who are now 6-2 – with 27 points on 20 shots and 18 rebounds. Poy Erram supplied 13 markers and nine caroms.
Magnolia will look to extend their streak as they take on the Alaska Aces on Sunday, October 14, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, while Blackwater will next face the Columbian Dyip on October 27, Saturday in Biñan, Laguna.
The Scores:
Magnolia 133 – Travis 22, Lee 19, Barroca 16, Sangalang 15, Jalalon 13, Dela Rosa 9, Simon 8, Mendoza 7, Abundo 5, Pascual 4, Gamalinda 4, Ramos 2, Brondial 2, Herndon 0, Reavis 0.
Blackwater 99 – Walker 27, Erram 13, Maliksi 12, Digregorio 9, Banal 7, Jose 6, Belo 5, Pinto 5, Al-Hussaini 4, Zamar 3, Cruz 3, Sumang 3, Sena 2, Javier 0, Palma 0.
Quarterscores: 35-19, 64-43, 98-73, 133-99.
