Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda secured the highest seed and an outright semifinals ticket after eking out an 81-72 victory in opposition to CEU within the 2023 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Tuesday on the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Red Lions led by as a lot as 17 factors, 42-25, late within the opening quarter earlier than the Scorpions staged a late rally with Franz Ray Diaz burying a triple to make it a 70-69 deficit for CEU within the fourth.
But an 11-3 closing run helped the Mendiola crew seal its fifth win in six video games.
Third yr participant Jacob Cortez led the best way for San Beda with 15 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, three steals, and one block whereas Peter Alfaro, Yukien Andrada, and Clifford Jopia every poured in 11 markers within the victory.
“The incentive of being No. 1 and being in the semis is of course a welcome for us but at the same time, hindi kami pwede mag-relax. Tataas ‘yung laro sa playoffs so we have to be prepared,” stated coach Yuri Escueta.
(The incentive of being No. 1 and being within the semis is in fact a welcome for us however on the identical time, we will not afford to loosen up. The degree of play will probably be greater within the playoffs so now we have to be ready.”)
The scores:
Marinero-San Beda 81 – Cortez 15, Alfaro 11, Andrada 11, Jopia 11, Payosing 9, Visser 8, Cuntapay 7, Tagle 5, Puno 2, Royo 2, Jalbuena 0, Tagala 0, Gallego 0.
CEU 72 – Tolentino 25, Santos 15, Diaz 12, Balogun 6, Bernabe 5, Borromeo 4, Puray 3, Cabotaje 2, Peñano 0, Joson 0, Ferrer 0, Anagbogu 0.
Quartescores: 19-13, 42-31, 60-57, 81-72.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
