MANILA — In a rare sight in club basketball play, one player from each of Muntinlupa Cagers and Bacoor Strikers tallied a triple-double on Tuesday night.
However, there can only be one winner, and that was Allan Mangahas and the Cagers.
Mangahas got the better of Gab Banal in a clash between triple-double players as Muntinlupa downed Bacoor City, 97-83, in the MPBL Datu Cup at the Imus City Sports Center in Imus.
In what would count as a de facto road game for the Cagers considering the match being held in Cavite, they came alive in the second half, dropping 66 points in the final 20 minutes to recover from the Strikers’ 10-0 start and remain unbeaten in the conference at 6-0.
Mangahas actually had a more efficient triple-double game than Banal, making 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting with 12 rebounds, and 12 assists along with two steals.
Despite scoring more, Banal bled for his 24 points, only making 5-of-20 from the field but compensating it with a 13-of-15 clip from the free throw line as well as turning the ball over five times. He capped his own triple-double with 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Mikee Reyes, another guy who can tally a triple-double anytime, could only make six markers on a dismal 25 percent shooting, two boards, and six dimes as Bacoor City dropped to seventh place in the Southern Division standings at 4-4 following Imus’ rout of Cebu City. He had a decent defensive game with two steals and one block.
The Imus Bandera put up a masterful performance at home to clobber the Cebu Sharks, 90-61, in the second game.
Imus broke out for good in the third quarter, making 30 points and limiting Cebu to just 11 in the said period.
Jerwin Gaco made 13 points to led a balanced scoring attack for the Bandera, who now joined the long logjam for second place at 4-3. He also tallied eight boards and one steal.
James Castro added 12 markers, five boards, and seven dimes for Imus, which is now 4-0 since Mike Orquillas replaced Jerry Codinera as mentor.
William McAloney and Patrick Cabahug each made 15 points for Cebu, which further sank at the bottom of the standings at 1-7. (Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA)
