MANILA Central University shocked a hastily-formed La Salle Team B while defending champion University of the Philippines and Letran won convincingly at the start of the PGFlex Invitational Tournament 2026 Quintana Cup on Thursday at the Paco Arena in Manila.
With 6-foot-10 Nigerian David Odior dominating inside the paint, the MCU Supremos blasted the Archers, 94-70, in a win that sent shockwaves through the basketball community.
Equally impressive in the preseason tournament were the Maroons, who dumped the Diliman College Blue Dragons, 88-47, and the Knights, who drew inspired games from Mark Belmonte, Thirdy Malaga, Gabriel Nepacena, Jack Turner, and Santi Romero to demolish St. Clare, 95-74.
Odior flexes muscle
Surprisingly quick and efficient despite his size, Odior posted a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds, apart from tallying two steals, two blocks and one assist in a little over 24 minutes of brilliance, which somehow rubbed off on his teammates.
After racing to a 29-16 first quarter lead, the Supremos were never threatened as they even hiked their lead to 70-52 going into the last 10 minutes despite the red-hot shooting of Agjanti Miller. The former San Beda star scattered 27 points.
Three other MCU players scored in double figures, with Ralph Tadeo adding 18 points, while Juan Carlos Espinosa and Ivan Ngando Eyoum combined for 22 points in the event backed by by Smart, Puso.com, Hapee Toothpaste, Mighty Bond, Spalding, Maruyama, Gerry’s Grill, Crane, Vital Purified Water, and Akari.
Belmonte buried three triples on the way to 21 points, with Malaga and Nepacena chipping in 15 and 14 points, respectively. Romero and Turner combined for 15 points.
UP’s win was likewise smooth as they took a 21-6 first quarter lead and never looked back – thanks to Irish Coquia, Joshua Coronel, CJ Singson, and Joshua Jamias.
Coquia led the Maroons with 25, followed by Coronel with 21, while Singson and Jamias combined for 25 points.
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