Aching to show their worth, the Cignal-San Beda Hawkeyes clobbered favorites Café France-CEU Bakers, 88-74, to score their breakthrough victory in 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, Monday evening at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Byron Villarias caught fire in the second half and poured 16 of his 21 points on a 5-of-8 clip from threes.
Jason Perkins also tallied 14 markers and eight rebounds, while Robert Bolick got 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists for the Hawkeyes.
“I’m happy with the way my players played. It’s a complete 180-turnaround from our first game to this second game. Credit to the boys for stepping up in practice in our last four days and hopefully, we stay consistent in playing these kinds of games,” said coach Boyet Fernandez.
Cignal started out hot, putting up a 26-8 lead to open the game, before a furious rally behind Rod Ebondo in the second allowed the Bakers to get to within five, 44-39, with 7:12 left in the third frame.
Perkins and Villarias, however, had no plans to allow a collapse, as they brought the Hawkeyes’ lead back to 24, 73-49, with 7:14 remaining.
Fernandez noted that the victory allowed Cignal to show they can keep up with the league’s powerhouse teams, saying, “It gives us confidence that we can win in this league.
“We formed the team two weeks ago and winning against a champion team like Cafe France give us confidence and trust in ourselves. Hopefully we continue to learn.”
The Hawkeyes shot 46 percent from the field, including 13-of-32 from distance. The Bakers, on the other hand, shot just 39 percent from the field. Moreover, Café France committed 21 turnovers that led to 27 Cignal-San Beda points.
Congolese big man Ebondo was the lone bright spot for the Bakers with 29 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks.
Cignal-San Beda Hawkeyes (1-1) look to sustain their momentum when they face the Wangs Basketball Couriers (1-1) on Thursday, February 2 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. On the other hand, the Café France Bakers (1-1) face the Blustar Detergent Dragons (0-2) on Tuesday, February 7 at the JSCGO Gym in Cubao.
The Scores:
Cignal-San Beda 88 – Villarias 21, Perkins 14, Bolick 10, Arboleda 8, Bahio 7, Bringas 6, Raymundo 6, Potts 5, Arong 4, Mocon 3, Batino 2, Oftana 2, Adamos 0, Tongco 0.
Cafe France-CEU 74 – Ebondo 29, Aquino 10, Desiderio 6, Faundo 6, Veron 5, Guinitaran 4, Arim 3, Calisaan 3, Casino 3, Wamar 3, Jeruta 2, Gabriel 0, Manlangit 0.
Quarterscores: 26-13, 42-28, 65-47, 88-74.
