Yu, Costelo impress in Pasig-Sta Lucia debut

Fran Yu

Pasig-Sta. Lucia opened their Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League powered by TM campaign with a 90-69 victory over Iloilo on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Realtors needed a strong second half to dispatch the Royals. After a third quarter to allowed them to establish a 69-59 lead, Fran Yu led a 19-6 run in the final period to break the game open at 88-65 with four minutes left.

The Letran playmaker finished with eleven points, three rebounds, and five assists in almost 26.5 minutes, while Ryan Costelo added a game-high fifteen points off the bench, as well as five rebounds and two assists.

Justin Arana almost produced a double-double with fourteen points and nine boards. Ced Ablaza netted thirteen markers for Pasig, which joins Bacoor and Bacolod with spotless records in Pool A.

Head coach Bong Dela Cruz shared post-match, "Yung first half kasi ang nakita ko siyempre first game, medyo gigil yung mga players, gigil sa basketball ulit so doon kami nawala sa wisyo." 

He adds, "Pag dating ng second half sa dugout kinausap namin na tapos na yung first half. Now, itong 'pag dating ng third quarter start na natin yung ginagawa natin sa practices which is na-execute nila yung game plan namin."

Levi Hernandez led Iloilo with fourteen points and three rebounds, while Aaron Jeruta added twelve points and four rebounds. The Royals will have a chance to bounce back on Wednesday when they face Bacolod at 130pm.

Later that same day, the Realtors will face off against the Strikers at 730pm.

The Scores:

Pasig (90) - Costelo 15, Arana 14, Ablaza 13, Yu 11, Bautista 9, Caralipio 8, Apinan 8, Mina 7, Teng 3, Lingganay 2, Ambohot 0

Iloilo (69) - Hernandez 14, Jeruta 12, Mahari 11, Maguliano 9, Taywan 8, Jaime 5, Vito 4, Iñigo 2, Santiago 2, Bederi 2, Javelosa 0, Gumaru 0

Quarterscores: 24-21, 46-40, 69-59, 90-69

Favorites advance in President's Cup Grand Finals quarterfinals

Nueva Ecija's Jai Reyes leads the Rice Vanguards

The top four teams of the 2020 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup powered by TM took care of business inside the bubble at INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba on Friday, as they won their respective quarterfinal matchups.

The most competitive quarterfinal matchup saw second seed Uling Roasters-Butuan eke out a 16-15 win against Bacolod-Master Sardines, 16-15.

With the game tied at 11 inside the final two minutes, Chris de Chavez drew a foul from Robin Rono, and with Bacolod in the penalty, it meant free throws for Butuan. De Chavez would convert both to establish a 13-11 lead that they never relinquished.

Franky Johnson would then convert a two-pointer to make it a two-possession game at 15-11.

Although Rono and Alfred Batino would chop the deficit back down late, time ran out and Butuan held on for the victory.

Karl Dehesa and JR Alabanza led the way with five points each, as they booked a matchup against Nueva Ecija in the semifinals.

The third-seeded Rice Vanguards dispatched Petra Cement-Roxas ZN, 21-14 in just under seven minutes.

Gab Banal topped Nueva Ecija with nine points, while Mac Sabelina closed out strong with five of the last six Nueva Ecija points to ensure there will not be an upset in this round.

The other side of the semifinal bracket features heavy favorites Zamboanga City Chooks against Pasig-Sta. Lucia.

The Family's Brand Sardines-backed quartet needed just over eight minutes to lop off Big Boss Cement-Porac, 21-11. Zamboanga City started off strong with a 12-4 opening run and never looked back.

Joshua Munzon led the quartet with twelve points. He shared afterwards, "Just executed the gameplan. We just need to continue this in the next three games."

After his explosion in the play-in round, Dylan Ababou was limited to just four markers.

The fourth-seed Realtors rode on their outside shooting to dispatch Palayan City, 21-13. Jhaps Bautista converted three two-pointers on his way to seven points, with Jeckster Apinan and Cedrick Ablaza adding six markers each.

The Zamboanga City-Pasig matchup is a reprise of the leg three quarterfinal, which the Realtors pulled off the upset.

Pasig stuns Zamboanga City in President's Cup quarters

Pasig is through to the semifinals.

The President's Cup will have a second team winning in its tournament.

Pasig-Sta. Lucia upset Family's Brand Sardines-Zamboanga City in the quarterfinals of the third leg of the 2020 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup on Sunday, 21-18.

The Realtors were trailing 11-18 with 2:45 left on the clock after a bucket from Leonard Santillan, but they turned up the defense to frustrate the national team quartet into misses and miscues. At the same time, the duo of Jeckster Apinan and Felix Apreku powered the comeback and complete the upset by scoring the final ten points of the game.

The latter shared after the game, "Depensa lang talaga and heart manalo."

Pasig will face off against Palayan City in the semifinals after the Capitals toppled sister team Nueva Ecija, 21-14.

Bobby Balucanag and Clark Derige took advantage of their size and imposed their will against the Rice Vanguards, netting a combined thirteen points in the win.

The former shared afterwards, "Mas intense yung laban namin kasi sister teams kami e. Nilaro lang namin yung advantage namin sa loob kaya siguro kami nanalo."

The other semifinal matchup features a couple of former finalists.

Preseason runner-up Bacolod-Master Sardines nipped Sarangani, 21-20, as Choi Ignacio scored the game-winner with just over a minute remaining. The Marlins had reached the hill first behind the efforts of Pamboy Raymundo before Ignacio's heroics.

First leg runner-up Uling Roasters-Butuan City topped Zamboanga Peninsula, 21-14. Franky Johnson torched the Valientes for eleven points.

Janus Lozada made it back-to-back winners for Petra Cement-Roxas ZN in the TM Two-Point Shootout, as he completed the first perfect stint in the competition by knocking down all ten attempts.

He joins Chris de Chavez and Roider Cabrera as leg winners in this particular side event.