RJ Tadeo produced another solid all-around performance as newcomer Manila Central University scored its first back-to-back wins with a 76-60 drubbing of Guang Ming College of Tagaytay in the Universities and Colleges Athletic League-PG Flex Linoleum Season 6 on Monday, Feb. 19, at the Paco Arena in Manila.
In a fitting follow-up to a 16-point performance in the team’s stunning 74-61 win over last year’s runner-up Olivarez College last Thursday, Tadeo fired 15 points, most of them coming in the second quarter where they outscored the Flying Dragons, 22-12, giving them a 50-36 halftime.
For good measure, the Supremos even padded their lead to as high as 22 points, 72-50, with still 6:25 remaining that virtually settled the outcome of the Group B match,
In the lone Group A match, league-leading Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas improved its record to 8-1 by tripping University of Batangas (5-4), 78-70.
The top two finishers in Group A (1st to 4th placers) will secure twice-to-beat advantages in the knockout quarterfinal round.
Taeo also logged five assists and the same number of assists to highlight MCU’s impressive start to the second phase of the elimination round for 5th to 9th placers.
Four other MCU players, including Seanne Devon General, scored in double figures as the Supremos dominated the match from the start to hike their record to 4-5.
GMC, which like MCU is looking to improve its position going into the quarters, fell to 3-6.
General tallied a game-high 16 points, Jan Prieto Hilao posted 13 points and 9 boards and foreign student-athlete Bi Tizie Yannick Dje had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Carl Jake Jake Dumalagan and Kyle Lepardo paced GMC with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
