MANILA – Rhon Jay Abarrientos got the better of Samjosef Belangel anew as Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus defeated Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus, 93-86, in the 2022-2023 Korean Basketball League on Sunday at the Daegu Gymnasium.
Abarrientos, a former Far Eastern University Tamaraws guard, finished with 17 points, on 7-of-12 shooting, to go with four assists, three rebounds and 2 steals as the Phoebus improved to 19-14 record.
The former Gilas Pilipinas guard also shot 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, including a booming three-pointer that widened the Phoebus’ advantage to 87-79 with over a minute left in the game.
The Bacolod City-native Belangel, on the other hand, was still limited on offense in his return from lengthy absence as he finished with nine points, three assists, one rebound and a steal for Pegasus, which dropped to 12-19.
Seo Myeong-jin showed the way for the Phoebus with 24 points, including three outside conversions, while Lee Woo-seok and Gaige Prim added 14 and 13 markers, respectively.
Devon Scott, who played for San Miguel Beermen in the 2022-2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, topscored for the Pegasus with 24 points, while Lee Dae-sung and Lee Dae-hon chipped in 20 and 16, respectively.
Meanwhile, Anyang Korean Ginseng Corporation bucked the absence of Rhenz Abando as they scored a 91-66 bounce back victory against the slumping Seoul Samsung Thunders at the Anyang Indoor Gymnasium.
Abando, a former University of Santo Tomas and Colegio de San Juan de Letran star, sat out for the second straight game for Anyang but it hardly mattered as his squad cruised to a lopsided win.
Former Golden State Warriors center Omari Spellman tallied double-double 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Seonggon Moon and Park Jihoon had 15 and 11, respectively, as Anyang improved to 23-10.
Darral Willis led the way with 22 points, while Jinyoung Kim and Wonseok Lee added 12 and 11 markers, respectively, as the Thunders remained at 10th and last place with a 10-24 slate./PN
