By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
AICC Manila edged San Juan City, 75-69, and took the top quarterfinal seeding in the FilBasket Subic Championship Monday at the Subic gym.
Michael Mabulac posted 19 points and eight rebounds while Michael Juico chipped in 16 points and six boards for the Manila dribblers, who finished the elims with an 8-2 win-loss record.
Larry Rodriguez and Renator Ular combined for 22 points for the San Juan Knights, who ended up with a 7-3 mark and settled for the No. 3 seeding. Davao Occidental finished second.
Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija bested MTrans Batangas City, 93-87, behind the efforts of Emil Renz Palma and Jerick Nacpil.
Palma posted 18 points and 10 assists while Nacpil had 10 points and 10 boards for the Nueva Ecija Bespren, who emerged with the highest quotient in the tiebreak after finishing with similar 6-4 slates with Pasig-Sta. Lucia, Medical Depot and Burlington EOG Sports.
MTrans, for its part, took the eighth seeding with a 5-5 card.
Clark Derige and Jeron Teng, meanwhile, lifted Pasig-Sta. Lucia past Muntinlupa, 101-70.
Derige and Ten teamed up for 34 points for the Realtors, who finished fifth while dealing the Muntinlupa Defenders their 10th consecutive defeat to finish last.
The top 4 quarterfinalists – AICC Manila, Davao Occidental, San Juan and Nueva Ecija – carry twice-to-beat advantages against Pasig-Sta. Lucia, Medical Depot, Burlington and MTrans, respectively.
