What was expected to be two big weekend battles between Filipino imports turned out to be just half that. But it did not mean it lacked excitement as plenty was at stake as far as positioning in the team standings of the Korean Basketball League.
Ethan Alvano and Wonju DB bounced back from a loss in its previous game to Anyang as the DB Promy turned back the RJ Abarrientos-less Ulsan, 86-81, on Saturday at the Wonju General Gymnasium.
The much-anticipated point guard match-up between the two Filipino playmakers did not materialize as Abarrientos, the leading candidate for KBL Rookie of the Year, is still sidelined with a right ankle sprain which could keep him out for 2-3 weeks.
Alvano followed up his 22-point performance last Thursday by filling up the stat sheet with 10 points, four boards, and five assists to help Wonju claim their sixth triumph in nine outings. With the win, the Promy climbed to second place in the standings, just two games behind league-leading Anyang.
Dewan Hernandez led the way with 20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks while Doo Kyungmin added 18 points on four treys.
Lee Woosuk tried to fill the shoes left by Abarrientos, scoring 19 points. Gaige Prim also got 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Over at the Anyang Gymnasium, former Gilas stalwarts Rhenz Abando and SJ Belangel faced off in an encounter between the top and the last-placed teams.
Abando’s Anyang KGC got the better of Belangel’s Daegu KOGAS, 73-72.
The NCAA Season 98 MVP Abando still had his minutes managed by Coach Kim Sangshik. After playing just six minutes on Thursday, Abando saw his minutes go up slightly to 10 minutes as he slowly gets his legs back after getting down by a hip injury. Abando still did his fair share for the Anyang KGC with six points, two rebounds, and a block.
Omari Spellman once again led KGC with 24 points and 20 rebounds while Byeon Junhyeong added 17 points.
Anyang now finds themselves alone at the top of the team standings with eight wins against a solitary loss.
Belangel made up for his 2-of-11 shooting on Thursday by sinking three triples en route to making 13 points for the Pegasus. Unfortunately, his efforts failed to prevent his squad from sinking further down the bottom of the standings.
Murphy Holloway added 23 points for the Pegasus as Lee Daesung was limited to just eight points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field.
