MANILA – ARQ Builders Lapu-Lapu Heroes stayed alive in the semifinals of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Visayas leg after a 67-52 rout of KCS Computer Specialist-Mandaue on Tuesday night at the Alcantara Civic Center in Cebu.
Reed Juntilla had another solid outing for the Heroes and top-scored with 19 points including a crucial four-point play late in the game to go along with six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block.
Dawn Ochea unloaded a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds as the Heroes stretched their semifinals series with the twice-to-beat incentive bearing Mandaue to a winner-take-all set-to.
The two anchored the Heroes’ blazing opening half shootings to surge the advantage to 39-29 that later widened to 51-40 after three quarters.
The Heroes dropped the hammer in the fourth quarter with Juntilla completing a four-point play while Fletcher Galvez and Rendell Senining did a scoring spree for Lapu-Lapu’s biggest lead at 67-49.
Aside from the offense, Lapu-Lapu City dominated Mandaue in the rebounding battle, 67-51, with Hafer Mondragon pulling down 14 boards and Jercules Tangkay grabbing eight to go along with five steals.
“We played as a team,” said Heroes assistant coach Jerry Abuyabor. “The big difference was everyone responded well. Everybody chipped in in their own little way.”
Mandaue was just a mess all game long as they made just 16 of their 71 attempts from the floor for a paltry 22-percent clip with nobody managing to score in double-figures.
Al Francis Tamsi led Mandaue City with nine points, Shaquille Imperial added eight markers, and Gryann Mendoza was held down to just five markers after averaging 11.6 points.
The winner of the Lapu-Lapu City-Mandaue do-or-die semis will battle MJAS Zenith Talisay City Aquastars at the start of the best-of-three Visayas leg finals on Friday.
BOX SCORE:
LAPU-LAPU 67 – Juntilla 19, Ochea 15, Senining 8, Tangkay 8, Lusdoc 6, Galvez 4, Mondragon 3, M. Arong 2, Minguito 1, Berame 1, Cañada 0, Abad 0, Regero 0.
MANDAUE 52 – Tamsi 9, Imperial 8, Exciminiano 6, Octobre 5, Sorela 5, Mendoza 5, Soliva 3, Delator 2, Roncal 2, Nalos 2, Mercader 2, Bongaciso 2, Cachuela 1, Bregondo 0, Castro 0.
QUARTERSCORES:
20-20, 39-29, 51-40, 67-52./PN
