The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Bacoor and General Santos City asserted their superiority over separate rivals on Monday and keep their drive in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season going at the Baliwag Star Arena in Bulacan.
The Bacoor City Strikers posted a wire-to-wire 86-69 victory over the Rizal XnetroMall Golden Coolers, while the GenSan Warriors kept on pounding till the end to batter the Bulacan Kuyas, 87-69.
Jammer Jamito and Mark Yee combined for 15 points as the Strikers buried the Golden Coolers, 73-41, late in the third quarter and proceeded to stretch their winning streak to five and climb to 9-1 in the elimination round of the 29-team, two-division tournament.
It was Jhan McHale Nermal who earned best players, however, as he sparked a 51-32 breakaway at halftime by pouring 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second quarter.
Nermal, who also chalked 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, got support from Yee, who finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Jamito, who contributed 11 points and 3 rebounds for Bacoor Coach Alex Angeles.
Rizal slumped to 2-9 as its leading scorers Edgar Charcos and Troy Mallillin could only tally 10 each.
Nursing an 8-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, GenSan leaned on Christian Fajarito, Enzo Joson and John Wilson to notch its seventh win against two losses.
The 6-foot-6 Fajarito, a former Letran star, finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds, Joson contributed 12 points, and Wilson 11 points plus 7 rebounds.
Imus SV Squad banked on veteran Marc Pingris to thwart Bacolod City of Smiles, 74-68, and improve to 4-5 in the opener.
Pingris earned best player honors with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists and got support from Jayjay Helterbrand with 12 points and John Sherick Estrada with 11.
Bacolod skidded to 3-8 despite the 17-point output of Domark Matillano and the 14-point, 9-rebound effort of Alfred Sedillo.
The MPBL returns to the Batangas City Coliseum with a triple bill pitting Zamboanga against Bicol at 4 p.m., Laguna against Sarangani at 6 p.m. and Pasig against Batangas at 8 p.m.