THE Bulacan Kuyas withstood the Batangas City Athletics’ final assault to prevail, 82-81, on Wednesday and rev up their playoff drive in the Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Season at the Olivarez College Gymnasium in Parañaque City.
Comfortably ahead at 79-67 going to the last two minutes, the Kuyas were jolted by a 10-point salvo dropped by the Athletics’ Jeff Viernes and Jason Melano with five points each.
Lester Alvarez, a former Athletic, canned a free throw and Aden Diputado scored on a layup to cushion the four-point windup of Batangas’ Dan Sara and Genmar Bragais and hand Bulacan its third straight win for a 15-8 record in the North division, where the top eight will advance to the playoffs.
The Tanduay-backed Athletics, the inaugural Rajah Cup champions, suffered their second straight defeat and fell to 13-9 in the South division, where eight teams will also advance.
Homegrown Dennis Santos powered the Kuyas to their third straight win with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, followed by John Ray Alabanza with 13 points and Diputado with 12.
Batangas drew 23 points and 8 rebounds from Melano, 14 points from Viernes, 13 from Jayson Grimaldo and 11 from Bragais.
The Quezon City Capitals struggled past the Marikina Shoemasters, 77-76, in overtime while the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards subdued the Paranaque Patriots, 85-81
With the Shoemasters’ ahead, 76-71, the Capitals unloaded a 6-point windup to post their 10th win against 15 losses.
Marikina’s Renato Ular forced overtime at 65-65 following a 2-point fallaway jumper with 44 seconds left only to crumble to 4-18 despite the 23-point, 11-rebound effort of Ular and the 24-point, 6-rebound output of Yves Sazon.
Dahrrel Caranguian shone for the Capitals with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, followed by Clark Derige with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Ryan Paule Costelo with 14 points and 5 assists, and Mark Olayon with 10 points and 4 rebounds.
Nueva Ecija allowed Paranaque to close in at 77-79 before Tonino Gonzaga drilled in a triple and James Martinez canned a floater to lift the Rice Vanguards to 6-16, still behind the 8-16 Patriots in the North.
