Racal showed poise in the clutch moments as it downed Tanduay, 96-90, to pull itself at the second spot in the 2016 PBA D-League Foundation Cup Thursday at Strike Gym in Bacoor, Cavite.
Kyle Neypes buried the go-ahead baskets in the final 1:37, including the off the glass triple with 58.1 ticks left to give the Tile Masters a 92-88 lead.
Raphael Banal gave added cushion with a layup for Racal, as Gelo Alolino missed two three-pointers in the final minute to end the fight for the Rhum Masters.
“I was disappointed because we got complacent and allowed them to get back in the game,” said coach Caloy Garcia, as Racal lost its early 19-point lead, 37-18. “Luckily in the end, we made the right shots and right decisions. It was a good win for us and we needed a win like this.”
Jonathan Grey topped the Tile Masters with 18 points, eight of which coming in the fourth frame, while Banal chimed in 16 markers, three rebounds, and two assists in the win.
Joseph Terso also had nine points, six boards, and five dimes, and Neypes wound up with eight.
Racal now sits at second place, tied with Cafe France at 4-1.
Val Acuna carried Tanduay (3-2) with 17 points and five rebounds, while Alolino got 15 markers in the loss.
The Scores:
Racal (96) – Grey 18, Banal 16, Maiquez 9, Terso 9, Javier 8, Neypes 8, Robles 8, Gabawan 7, Ortuoste 7, Celiz 6, Corpuz 0, Paniamogan 0.
Tanduay (90) – Acuna 17, Alolino 15, Lingganay 12, Javillonar 11, Santos 9, Mendoza 8, Vigil 8, Celda 7, Tagarda 2, Gotladera 1, Acibar 0, Belencion 0, Enguio 0.
Quarterscores: 20-14, 44-39, 70-71, 96-90.
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In the first game, Blustar Detergent raided Topstar ZC Mindanao and came away with an 89-75 victory, marking the Dragons’ first win in the tournament.
Showing signs of promise through their first four defeats, the Malaysians finally figured things out and stringed a memorable performance to show why they are indeed a dangerous team in this tournament.
Leaning behind Juami Tiongson, Blustar just went to work, breaking off in the second quarter courtesy of an 11-0 run and erecting a 15-point halftime lead, 48-33, which would even balloon to 26, 84-58, midway in the fourth.
Tiongson finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
“I can just give the credit to Tiongson,” said coach Goh Cheng Huat. “He’s the guy who is pushing our whole team. We need one guy like him and he’s a good example for us to learn from.”
Wong Yi Hou chimed in 19 markers and seven boards, while Kuek Tian Yuan tallied a double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six dimes.
Though Goh is happy with what he’s seeing, he refuses to let his guard down and preaches his Dragons to keep on grinding. “We’re slightly seeing improvements, but today’s win still isn’t impressive. We need to improve more,” he said.
Gino Jumao-as paced Topstar ZC Mindanao (0-4) with 16 points.
The Scores:
Blustar (89) – Tiongson 24, Wong 19, Kuek 18, Choo 9, Ma 8, Ting 6, Yeo 5, Liaw 0, Mak 0, Ong 0, Palma 0, Teo 0, Tong 0.
Topstar (75) – Jumao-as 16, Garcia 11, Ferrer 10, Ongteco 10, Cawaling 7, Acosta 6, Argamino 4, Tano 4, Rono 3, Sarangay 3, Rivera 1, Cabrera 0, Ignacio 0.
Quarterscores: 24-16, 48-33, 72-54, 89-75.
