BATANGAS CITY – The General Santos Warriors showed their offensive might and clobbered the Quezon City Capitals, 124-103, on Tuesday to rev up their playoffs drive in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Season at Batangas State University Gymnasium here.
They got further boost later in the night when the listless Batangas Athletics yielded to the reenergized Bicol Volcanoes, 71-76, who halted a six-game slide.
Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines trounced Binan City Luxxe White in the opener, 110-98.
Former pro Pamboy Raymundo dished off an MPBL record 18 assists and fired 22 points while homegrown Delmar Mahaling scored 23 and grabbed 13 rebounds to power the Warriors to their 14th win against six losses, displacing the Athletics at third spot among 15 teams in the South division.
Raymundo, also with six rebounds, two steals and one block, eclipsed the 17 assists tallied by Binan City Laguna Heroes’ Allan Mangahas when he was still with the Muntinlupa Cagers in the MPBL Datu Cup.
The Warriors, trailing only the Davao Occidental Tigers (16-2) and the Bacoor Strikers (15-4) in the South, also got 18 points and nine rebounds from John Orbeta, 16 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals from homegrown Christopher Masaglang, and 16 points and five rebounds from Al Carlos in pulling down the Capitals to 8-11 in the 16-team North division.
Now under new management and fully controlled by LCC Malls, the Volcanoes were led by Alwyn Alday with 19 points, four steals and 3 rebounds in climbing to 9-11, good for eighth spot in the South, where eight teams will advance to the playoffs along with eight other teams from the North.
Alday was supported by former pro Ronjay Buenafe with 12 assists and five rebounds and Jerome Garcia with 11 points, four assist and three steals.
The Athletics, despite the 22-point, 14-rebound effort of Jason Melano and the 10-point, 19-rebound output of Jhaymo Eguilos that led to a 68-39 edge off the boards, skidded to 12-6.
Navotas climbed to 5-11 in the North while Binan fell to 6-13 in the South.
The MPBL goes to the Strike Gymnasium on Wednesday with Mindoro battling Nueva Ecija at 4 p.m. Other gaes pit Soccsksargen against Manila at 6:30 p.m. and Bacoor against Basilan at 8:30 p.m.
