GO for Gold needed clutch performances from Gab Banal and Jai Reyes to nip Marinerong Pilipino-TIP, 93-88, and remain unscathed in the 2018 PBA D-League Foundation Cup on Thursday at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The veteran pair conspired in the endgame to fend off the Engineers and secure the Scratchers' fourth straight win.
Banal showed his old team what it missed as he unloaded 24 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in tandem with Reyes, who shot 4-of-7 from downtown and contributed 21 points, seven assists, and four boards.
Go for Gold needed all of that as Trevis Jackson and Robbie Manalang carried Marinerong Pilipino-TIP back from 15-points down and tying the game at 75 with 4:45 left.
Banal and Reyes accounted for 16 of the final 18 points of Go for Gold.
Still, coach Charles Tiu lamented that the Scratchers should have done a better job on not letting the young Engineers catch up and make a game of it in the final canto.
“I’m just not happy with the way we ended the game. We played well enough, we are up by double digits for the most part, then we let up towards the end. We can't let that happen,” he said.
Paul Desiderio and Jerwin Gaco both tallied 11 points each for Go for Gold.
Jackson saw his 34-point explosion go down the drain as Marinerong Pilipino-TIP dropped to 2-2. Franky Johnson also chimed in 17 points and eight rebounds in the loss.
The scores:
GO FOR GOLD 93 — Banal 24, Reyes 21, Desiderio 11, Gaco 11, Tolentino 6, Dennison 5, Martinez 4, Porter 4, Salem 4, Pili 3, Castor 0.
MARINERONG PILIPINO-TIP 88 — Jackson 34, Johnson 17, Manalang 8, Napoles 7, Prado 6, Tratter 5, Thiele 4, Ndiaye 3, Gomez de Liaño 2, B. Santos 2, Medina 0.
Quarters: 20-12, 41-32, 70-57, 93-88.
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