MANILA – Marinerong Pilipino Skippers reached the finals of the 2019 PBA D-League Foundation Cup with a 96-79 win over Technological Institute of the Philippines Engineers in Game 2 of the semifinals at the Paco Arena in Manila.
Bacolod City native John Byron Villarias spearheaded the series victory for the Skippers. He drained seven three-pointers on Monday en route to finishing with conference-high 25 markers.
Jhonard Clarito produced 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. William McAloney supplied 11 points and seven boards and Santi Santillan chimed in 10 markers for the Skippers.
“We’re happy na nasa Finals kami pero mas masaya siguro kung makuha namin ‘yung championship,” said Skippers head coach Yong Garcia.
Marinerong Pilipino is making its first-ever Finals appearance.
From a slim 61-58 lead midway in the third period, the Skippers broke away with Villarias draining eight points in a decisive 17-0 scoring run for a 78-58 spread heading into the fourth.
The lead grew further in the fourth quarter. The Skippers enjoyed a lead as high as 28 points, 92-64, following a Jordan Rios bucket with 6:36 left to play before cruising to the 17-point win.
Marinerong Pilipino now awaits the winner between Centro Escolar University Scorpions and BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare Saints, which was stretched to a do-or-die game after the Scorpions’ 83-68 Game 2 win./PN
