FLYING V saw a 10-point lead trimmed to two but recovered to score a 74-66 win over Perpetual Help in a tuneup game on Sunday in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup in San Juan.
Gab Banal spearheaded the attack with 16 points including a split from the foul line that sealed the win for the Thunder, which is preparing for its PBA D-League debut.
Banal also had 11 rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Jan Colina, Oda Tampus, and Joven Mendoza each scored 10 points.
Thunder were able to erect a comfortable 68-58 lead with 3:21 left but the Altas employed a full-court press and got to within two, 68-66, after three-pointers from Genmar Ylagan and Jeff Coronel with 1:52 ticks left.
But the Las Pinas-based dribblers went ice cold from there while Jeron Teng sparked a 6-0 run for the Thunder to foil the Altas' comeback hopes.
Teng was a non-factor until the final stretch where he hit three of the last six free throws for the Thunder. He finished with eight points.
Despite the victory, Flying V coach Eric Altamirano rued the team's lack of effort on defense.
"I think today were not in sync in whatever we wanna do," said Altamirano, whose team trailed 25-15 early.
"The energy was not there today. Siguro we need to work on that more. The team is a work in progress e, and we need to do a better job defensively. I felt we did not do our job on defense."
Ylagan finished with 14 points for the Altas, while Flash Sadiwa had 11.
The scores:
Flying V 74 — Banal 16, Colina 10, Tampus 10, Mendoza 10, Teng 8,Canada 6, Salamat 5, Austria 5, Torres 2, Webb 2, Thiele 0.
Perpetual 66 — Ylagan 14, Sadiwa 11, Mangalino 9, Coronel 9, Dagangon 7, Pido 7, Lucente 6, Hao 3, Yuhico 0, Singontiko 0.
Quarterscores: 15-25; 42-36; 56-50; 74-66.
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