By JONAS TERRADO
Games Today (Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City)
2 p.m. – Big Chill vs Blackwater
4 p.m. – Cebuana Lhuillier vs Wangs
Josan Nimes scored 14 of his 33 points as CafeFrance hacked out an 84-80 victory over Boracay Rum in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup yesterday at the JCSGO gym in Cubao.
The Mapua guard, who missed the whole NCAA season due to a back injury, scored the Bakers’ first six points in the payoff period before hitting a rare four-point play off a Paolo Taha foul that made it 78-71 with 2:38 left.
However, the Waves made a last-ditch comeback when Mac Belo scored to pull within 82-80, 31.8 seconds remaining, before forcing a defensive stop.
But Boracay Rum’s prized top overall pick Chris Banchero failed to secure the ball, allowing JR Gallardo to steal the ball and sink two charities off Banchero’s foul with only 1.4 ticks to go to seal the deal.
CafeFrance improved to an even 2-2 record after a 74-70 loss to Jumbo Plastic exactly a week ago.
Nimes shot 14-of-19 shooting to lead CafeFrance, which is set to lose the dynamic guard combo of Ping Exciminiano and Eliud Poligrates to the pros.
Exciminiano signed a rookie contract with Alaska after being taken in the second round of the PBA Rookie Draft while Poligrates is due to ink his deal after he was drafted by Talk N’ Text in the third round.
Banchero and Belo scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for Boracay Rum which slipped to 1-2.