MAGNOLIA kept its unbeaten run in the PBA Philippine Cup behind a 118-99 dominance of Phoenix Saturday night at the Zamboanga City Coliseum.
Ian Sangalang and Zavier Lucero were unstoppable forces in the middle for the Hotshots, finishing with 20 and 17 points, respectively, while Paul Lee provided the hot shooting from the outside through his 3-of-5 conversion from beyond the arc, where the team shot a sizzling 46 percent (13-of-28)
The Hotshots stayed on top with a 4-0 slate to preserve the solo lead at the end of the league’s first provincial sortie in the all-Filipino tournament.
Hometown boy Mark Barroca also did well for Magnolia with 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Phoenix fell to a 1-3 record in a tie with Terrafirma near the bottom of the standings despite getting a pair of 20-point games from rookie Kai Ballungay and another Zamboanga native RR Garcia.
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Ballungay, the 6-foot-7 center from Ateneo, held his own against the Sangalang-Lucero duo at the frontcourt, coming through with a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds, while Garcia was a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range for 22 points while dishing off five assists.
But the Magnolia bench led by Lucero, who also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, and Lee, outscored Phoenix, 69-45, and likewise got more second chance points, 20-10.
The Hotshots never looked back once they peeled off from a 13-13 standoff in the opening quarter following a layup and jumper by Sangalang.
By halftime, Magnolia already sat at a 14-point spread, which it stretched to its biggest at 107-79 on a Barroca layup with 7:35 left to play.
The scores
Magnolia 118 -- Sangalang 20, Barroca 18, Lucero 17, Lee 17, Laput 10, Dela Rosa 8, Ahanmisi 7, Abueva 6, Alfaro 6, Escoto 5, Lastimosa 4, Dionisio 0.
Phoenix 99 -- Ballungay 25, Garcia 22, Perkins 17, Tio 8, Soyud 6, Tuffin 5, Rivero 4, Camacho 4, Jazul 4, Manganti 4, Daves 0, Ular 0, Verano 0, Alejandro 0.
Quarters: 35-27: 67-53: 94-74: 118-99.
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