San Juan clobbered Bulacan, 94-76, on Saturday night to gain a share of the division lead in the 2018 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Anta Datu Cup at the Valenzuela City Astrodome.
Centro Escolar University product Aaron Jeruta sizzled with 20 points while former Mapua guard CJ Is it and Rian Ayonayon teamed up for 23 points as the Knights went on a tear early on.
Former pros Mac Cardona and John Wilson accounted for 10 points each to help the cause of San Juan, which improved its mark to 2-0 and joined idle Navotas Clutch and the Makati Skyscrapers atop the North Division.
“It started with our defense and on the offensive end, they made a conscious effort on giving extra passes,” said Knights coach Randy Alcantara.
In the nightcap, former Arellano guard Rocky Acidre came up big down the stretch as host Valenzuela Classic held off the visiting Basilan Steel, 96-94, for its first victory.
Acidre pumped in a game-high of 20 points, eight of them coming in successive fashion that enabled the Classic to break an 85-all count into a four-point lead with 82 seconds to play.
But the Steel refused to roll down and die, with unheralded Ferdinand Lusoc earning the chance for a possible tying – or even a go-ahead -bucket. However, he fumbled the leather in the crowded lane as time ran out, enabling the Classic to escape.
Lusoc led all scorers with 24 points while former pro Dennis Daa tallied 21 points that all went down the drain with Basilan’s tough loss for an even 1-1 mark.
Jason Melano racked up 21 points while JayR Taganas and James Martinez produced 12 points each for the Kuyas, who also dropped to an identical 1-1 record, no thanks to their erratic plays that led to 25 errors which the Knights turned into 40 points.
So suffocating the defense of the Knights that they made a league-record of 15 steals, eight of them between Isit and Jhonard Clarito.
-JEROME LAGUNZAD
