Magnolia maintained its flawless record in the PBA On Tour by crushing TNT, 96-63, on Friday evening at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Leading by just four points late in the third quarter, 55-51, Mark Barroca sparked a 10-1 run by scoring five points. He gave the Hotshots a 65-52 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Magnolia’s big men, Joseph Eriobu and James Laput, extended their lead to 23 points with a strong start in the final period, making it 81-58 with 6:17 remaining.
In the fourth quarter, David Murrell also contributed to Magnolia’s dominant performance with two emphatic slam dunks.
The Hotshots outscored the Tropang Giga, 31-11.
“Siguro medyo maganda lang yung mindset ng mga bata. We just try to practice our mindset going into the game kasama ‘yun sa ineensayo namin,” said Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero, commenting on their flawless start.
The Hotshots maintained a perfect 5-0 record while keeping the Tropang Giga winless in three games.
Six Magnolia players achieved double digits, led by Rome Dela Rosa’s 19 points, while Eriobu contributed 14 points of his own. Jerrick Ahanmisi, Murrell, Barroca, and Laput each scored 11 points.
The 6-foot-9 big man also grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots.
Glenn Khobuntin led TNT with 23 points, but struggled from the field, shooting 6-of-17. Carl Bryan Cruz added 11 points, while Paul Varilla contributed 10 points.
Magnolia will face Northport next Friday, while TNT will play against Converge earlier on Wednesday. Both games will take place at the same venue in Pasig.
The Scores:
Magnolia 96 – Dela Rosa 19, Eriobu 14, Barroca 11, Laput 11, Ahanmisi 11, Murrell 11, Mendoza 8, Corpuz 8, Corpuz 5, Jalalon 4, Reavis 2, Sangalang 0
TNT 63 – Khobuntin 23, Cruz 11, Varilla 10, Marcelo 8, Ganuelas-Rosser 6, Cuntapay 3, Gallego 2, Tungcab 0, Jopia 0, Alfaro 0
Quarterscores: 15-18, 43-31, 65-52, 96-63
