Aris Dionisio came away with a double-double performance while two other players finished in double figures as the Manila Stars-Robust Energy Capsule walloped the Caloocan Supremos-Longrich, 95-68, to move up into solo lead of the Northern Division of the MPBL Datu Cup on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Dionisio, the versatile forward and long-time player of PBA legend Philip Cezar, ended up with 24 points and 10 rebounds while two Chris Bitoon and former pro Reil Cervantes also finished in double-figure scoring for the Stars, who now improved to 7-1 win-loss record.
Bitoon, the spitfire guard, contributed 18 points, five assists, and three steals while Cervantes added 14 points and went a rebound away from registering his own double-double performance.
But Manila’s one-sided win was nearly overshadowed by Navotas’ overtime win over Rizal, 87-81, in the other game.
Ron Dennison helped the Clutch in salvaging an extra period then Kyle Neypes and Gino Jumao-as picked up the slack in the next five minutes as Navotas notched its fourth win in eight games.
Dennison played heads up basketball and was instrumental in the last five seconds of regulation. The former star player of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws took a calculated risk, bounced the ball off a Rizal defender with his back to the inbounder and getting away with a lay up to tie the game at 73 and send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, the Clutch showed their poise as they opened up with an 11-0 run, seven of those points came from Kyle Neypes, to completely take the fight out of the Xentro Mall-backed Crusaders.
The win was the fourth in eight games for the Clutch, who bucked the absence of two key players – Rey Publico and Levy Hernandez.
Publico, the team’s main man at the middle, tore his ACL during Game 5 of the PBA D-League finals and will be out the rest of the season.
Hernandez, on the other hand, served a one game suspension.
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