THE Sarangani Marlins rode the hot hands of Paul Sanga to rout the Bataan Risers, 92-80, on Friday in the OKbet-(MPBL) Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 4th Season presented by Xtreme at the San Jose Del Monte Sports Complex in Bulacan.
Sanga went 5-of-12 from beyond the three-point arc, 1-of-1 from two-point range and 4-of-4 on free throw attempts for a game-high 21 points plus nine rebounds that earned the 6-foot-4 shooter Best Player honors.
With Sanga getting ample support from Donald Gumaru, Gabby Espinas, homegrown Tricky Peromingan and new acquisition Macky Acosta, the Marlins pulled away, 83-60, en route to their fourth straight win and a 9-2 record in the single round-robin elimination phase of the 22-team tournament.
Gumaru fired 16 points and issued 9 assists, Espinas posted 11 points and 6 assists, Peromingan 10 points and 7 rebounds and Acosta 10 points plus 4 rebounds as the Marlins hardly felt the absence of injured guards Kyt Jimenez and Yvan Ludovice.
Although the Risers were able to control the boards, 62-44, through Jamil Gabawan, with 18 rebounds, and Arvie Bringas, with 16 rebounds, they were hampered by their awful shooting from afar, connecting on only 3 of 26 tries, and the charity stripe, making only 15 of 31 attempts.
Bringas also scored 17 points as Top Gun James Darwin Castro was held to 14.
Homegrown Gio Espuelas and Guilmer Torre produced 11 points for Bataan, which dropped to 7-3.
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