Another newcomer team has made its presence felt as Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Muntinlupa scored an impressive win in the Sta. Lucia-NCRAA men’s basketball tournament at the PATTS Gymnasium.
The Marshals went off to a rousing start behind the sizzling performance of Reymart Argana, who pumped in three triples in the opening period allowing his team to go all the way in dumping the NCBA Wildcats, 65-53.
But while Argana opened up things for the Marshals’ early breakaway, Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila also got solid contributions from Daniel Austria, who came off the bench to score 14 points and led his team in scoring.
The Marshals led by as many as 26 points in the third period, 53-27, and the Wildcats never recovered from there despite outscoring their rivals, 16-7, in the final period.
Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila and the host school for the scheduled triple-header, PATTS, joined opening day winners AMA and University of Luzon, in the win column of this tournament sponsored by Sta. Lucia Land and outfitted by LGR Sportswear.
Carls Richard Duenas paced NCBA with 10 points.
PATTS outplayed La Salle-Dasmarinas, 90-77, in the other game.
John Reed knocked in 11 of his 13 points in the opening period that triggered the Seahorses’ 34-16 run earlier.
The Patriots, who fell behind by as much as 27 points, made a last ditch effort of rallying by unloading 18 unanswered points only to run out of time.
Norman Torreno, a rookie, led the way for the Seahorses with 21 points while Joshua Diaz added 19.