Carl Tamayo continued his scorching run for Changwon LG, while JD Cagulangan impressed in his professional debut for Suwon KT on Saturday.
Tamayo’s 30-point effort proved decisive this time as the Sakers edged Anyang JKJ Red Boosters, 86-82, at the Anyang Gymnasium.
Meanwhile, Cagulangan showed no signs of nerves in his first game, delivering a well-rounded performance despite the Suwon KT Sonicboom falling to Justin Gutang and the Seoul Samsung Thunders, 63-78, at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena.
Coming off a career-high 37 points in a narrow 88-92 loss to the Thunders last Thursday, Tamayo once again shone brightly.
(C) Changwon LG
The sweet-shooting Cebuano poured in 31 points on an efficient 14-of-23 shooting, along with eight rebounds, two steals, a block, and an assist.
His stellar showing powered the Sakers to a much-needed victory, improving their record to 15-13 and solidifying their hold on fifth place in the standings.
Changwon LG led by just five at halftime, 48-43, but Tamayo spearheaded a spirited second-half surge, outscoring Anyang JKJ, 52-35, to seal the win.
Red Boosters forward Javi Gomez de Liano chipped in 13 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block as Anyang extended their losing streak to 10 games and remained at the bottom of the standings with a woeful 7-21 record.
On the other hand, after waiting two weeks to resolve visa issues, Cagulangan made an immediate impact in his KBL debut.
The 24-year-old guard from Butuan City recorded seven points, nine assists, five steals, and four rebounds in just over 22 minutes of play.
Cagulangan’s defensive efforts were particularly noteworthy. His final two steals helped Suwon KT cut a 14-point deficit to just six in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter.
However, Gutang and the Thunders held their ground to deny Cagulangan a winning debut and keep Suwon KT from claiming solo third place.
Gutang contributed 11 points, four assists, two steals, a block, and a rebound in the Thunders’ victory, which improved their record to 10-17, good for eighth place.
Suwon KT, meanwhile, dropped to fourth with a 15-12 record.
Elsewhere, two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao was notably absent from Goyang Sono’s 12-man roster in their game against Calvin Epistola and Busan KCC.
Quiambao’s absence, coupled with main gunner Lee Jung-hyun sidelined due to an ankle injury, proved to be pivotal as the Skygunners absorbed a 70-73 beating to the Egis at the Goyang Gymnasium.
Lee Ho-Hyun poured in 22 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting clip while Cady Lalanne chipped in a near-double-double effort of 21 points and nine rebounds to send Goyang Sono down their fourth straight loss for a 9-19 card in ninth place.
Busan KCC, meanwhile, remained in seventh place with a 12-16 record.
Quiambao, who was expected to debut, still has a chance to see action this weekend when the Skygunners face Juan Gomez de Liano and the Seoul SK Knights tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. (Philippine time).
