Tigers triumph over De Liano-led Marinero to notch third consecutive preseason victory
By Anton Villegas
Builders Warehouse — UST earned their third straight win at the expense of the Marinerong Pilipino Skippers in the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirant’s Cup, Thursday afternoon, at Ynares Sports Center in Pasig,
Nic Cabanero and Sherwin Concepcion proved their value on offense as they both scored 18 points while shooting an efficient three out of five from deep with Bryan Santos as a supporting cast stepping up with 16 points hitting 50-percent of his shots from deep.
Tigers started the game cold, not scoring for the first two minutes of the ballgame but picked up the pace later on.
The Tigers responded with good defense and hot shooting, denying Marinerong Pilipino the lead and ended the quarter leading two points, 19–17.
Sherwin Concepcion got the best out of the opening salvo with his hot shooting and effort on the boards, hitting two from long range, scoring 8 points and four boards.
Stretch big Bryan Santos started the second period with a hot hand beyond the arc, scoring two straight three balls to help build an 8-point lead midway of the second quarter.
Gani Stevens dominated the boards and showed his big impact in the paint, finishing the half with six rebounds while being skilled in stopping the offense from scoring inside.
Marinerong Pilipino did not disappoint their fans as they also did their mini scoring run to finish the quarter with a low scoring 32–32.
Former Maroonsguard Juan Gomez De Liano exploded for 14 points through the half to carry the scoring load for Marinerong Pilipino.
Rookie guard Kean Baclaan shot lights out in the third period scoring 8 points with two straight crucial threes to build a solid 12-point lead.
Bryan Santos also had his fair share of hot shooting in the third frame, scoring a two ball and gave Marinerong Pilipino frustrations on defense, hitting two straight triples, 59–54.
The final quarter ended on a good note for the Growling Tigers as the Marinerong Pilipino failed to close out on UST’s shooters. Paul Manalang opened up the period giving them a layup and two straight threes to widen the gap.
Cabanero’s good start was retained as he sank three ice-cold baskets from beyond the arc to help the Builders Warehouse-UST seal the deal together with team veteran Concepcion, who swished a late three to make sure of the victory.
The Builders Warehouse-UST will try to continue their winning ways on Tuesday, 1:00 PM, against the NCAA champions, Wangs Basketball @26 Letran Knights, at the same venue.
