The Makati Super Crunch got back on track with a 73-67 victory over the Cebu City Sharks on Tuesday in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Season at Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Muntinlupa City.
Powered by Jeckster Apinan and Joseph Sedurifa, the Super Crunch surged ahead, 45-27, before fending off the Sharks’ final rally, 63-61, to tally their fourth win against an 85-91 loss to the Quezon City Capitals on July 16.
Apinan fired 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, while Sedurifa added 11 points and 9 rebounds for coach Cholo Villanueva’s charges.
The Casino Ethyl Alcohol-backed Sharks, who got 16 points each from William McAloney and Rhaffy Octobre, slid to 2-6.
The Paranaque Patriots checked their skid with an 81-77 conquest of Imus Bandera in the second game.
Veteran Jemal Vizcarra lived up to his role as Paranaque’s take-charge guy with a game-high 23 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, lifting the Patriots to a 3-5 slate.
Vizcarra was supported by Keith Pido with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Trailing, 38-39, the Patriots sprang to life with a 15-point cluster, 53-39, then stood their ground in the homestretch to pull down Bandera to 2-4.
MC Caceres made 12 points for Bandera, followed by James Martinez and Mikee Reyes with 11 each. Actor Gerald Anderson chipped in 4 points in less than 9 minutes of action.
The Muntinlupa Cagers weathered the Quezon City Capitals’ final rally to prevail, 106-100 in the nightcap.
With the Capitals closing in, 98-102, John Kervin Ortuoste made two free throws while Edzel Mag-isa scored on a layup to seal the Cagers’ third win in eight starts.
Mag-isa wound up with 24 points and 11 boards while Ortuouste tallied 24 to go with 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Biboy Enguio and Ryusei Koga also shone for the Cagers with 16 points and 14 rebounds and 22 points with 14 assists, respectively.
The Capitals saw their three-game run broken and remained at 4-3.
