VALENZUELA celebrated Dennis Santos' return with an 88-81 victory vs. Bacolod on Saturday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.
The 6-foot-5 Santos fired 29 points, 23 in the first half, to lift the Classic to their eighth win in 16 starts in the round-robin eliminations of the 29-team tournament.
Coming back from injury, Santos also wound up with seven rebounds and two assists despite being used sparingly in the second half, where Valenzuela carried a built-in 56-41 advantage.
Santos' support system
New acquisition Mark Montuano supported the wiry, springy forward with 18 points plus eight rebounds, while veteran Paolo Hubalde also added seven points, 12 assists, eight rebounds, and three steals.
With Santos drilling in 5-of-9 triple attempts, the Classic shot 37.5 percent from afar, way better than the Bacolenos' 7-of-25 for 28 percent.
The City of Smiles, who fielded only eight players, tumbled to 1-15 despite the 35-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist effort of Louie Vigil; the 12-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist output of Danny Marilao; and the 11-point, 3-rebound, 3-assist, 2-steal contribution of Tricky Peromingan.
The MPBL goes to the San Andres Sports Complex on Monday, with games pitting Bulacan against Iloilo at 4 p.m., Abra against Batangas at 6 p.m., and South Cotabato against Manila at 8 p.m.
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