June 14 Games - MULTILINE STALLS HCG LAZULI, 96-80
Exclusive by Epoy Del Rosario.
MULTILINE STALLS HCG LAZULI, 96-80
Multiline strengthened its bid to crash in the final four by going up big and maintaining enough composure to hold on to its 3rd straight win coming at the expense of HCG Lazuli, 96-80.
It was a duel between two outside snipers, a shootout rarely seen in ABU lore, as Dunhill Villaruel and Brian James Chiu shot the lights out at the CCP Gym.
Villaruel led all scorers by exploding for 44 points, connecting on 8-of-20 three pointers and 10-of-15 field goals, on his way to giving his team a 3-1 record in the standings. Brian James Chiu also connected on 8 three pointers on 17 attempts, as he tried to erase a 24-point 2nd half deficit, bringing it all the way down to 10 in the waning moments, as he finished with 37 points for HCG Lazuli.
HCG Lazuli actually started as the hotter team in the 1st half, going up by seven on the slow-starting Multiline lineup. Multiline then found its stride to go up by 18 at the end of the first half, 57-39.
Multiline got solid contributions from the rest of its cast, as different players keyed several runs that ran their lead up to 24 in the 2nd half. Epoy del Rosario had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists, while Elmor Manalili and Jojo Ison combined for 15 crucial points during HCG’s run at Multiline’s lead. Joseph Gaytano directed the team’s drive with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, while Albert Tamase chipped in 5 points and 8 rebounds. Gasie May did a superb defensive job on Chiu in the final two minutes to help hold off HCG Lazuli’s rally.
Randy Go had 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for HCG, with Damar Cinco coming up with 13 ponts, 11 rebounds and 4 assists for his team’s cause.
Boxscores:
Multiline (96): Villaruel 44, del Rosario 21, Manalili 8, Ison 7, Gaytano 6, Tamase 5, Mabuhay 3, May 2, Gomez 0
HCG Lazuli (80): Chiu 37, Go 15, Cinco 13, De Guzman 5, Motus 4, S. Chua 3, Combo 3, Albeza 0
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