Homegrown icon Jayson Castro Apolonio poured 11 points in overtime as the Pampanga Giant Lanterns subdued the Quezon City MG Cars, 107-103, on Saturday in the OKbet-MPBL (Makarlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season presented by Xtreme at the Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Apolonio carried the brunt of Pampanga’s offense after another homegrown star, Archie Concepcion, fouled out in regulation play, which ended an 89-89 following a buzzer-beater drive by Jerick Nacpil.
The Giant Lanterns posted their second straight win and leveled their record at 3-3 in the 22-team tournament.
Quezon City fell to 0-2.
Concepcion wound up with a game-high 22 points, but failed to give Pampanga an outright win when he split his 2 free throws in the homestretch, allowing Nacpil, who is also a Kapampangan, to send the game into overtime.
Apolonio, who scored the Giant Lanterns’ first seven points in overtime, finished with 13 points, following Michelle Maynes’ 21. Dominick Vera and Alex Ramos chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Pampanga.
Quezon City threatened at 101-104 on a follow-up by Kentoy Segura, but Apolonio drove in to break the back of the Capitals.
