MANILA – Bacolod Master Sardines pulled off a stunning 68-59 victory over the Imus Banderas in the 2019-2020 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Cup at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Mark Tallo regained his shooting for the Bacolodnons with 25 points, including five three-point conversions, on Thursday night.
Nico Paolo Javelona and Justin Alano added 12 and 10 markers, respectively.
The 5-8 Bacolod surged to a 12-0 start on conversions from Tallo, Arturo Dimas and Jopher Custodio. The lead grew further to 33-20 for the Bacolodnons in the second half with shots from Tallo and William Vasalio.
Banderas, however, countered with a strong run in the third period behind Anthony Helterbrand and Gerald Anderson to come to as close as 42-44 heading into the fourth period.
The Bacolodnons regained its shooting form in the fourth quarter. Three-point hits by Custodio and Tallo gave them a 53-44 edge. It grew back to 13 points after back-to-back triples by Tallo.
Helterbrand finished the match with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Anderson added 12 markers as the Banderas dropped to 3-9 win-loss record./PN
