The Davao Occidental Cocolife Tigers finished the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu Cup elimination round on a bright note, ripping Muntinlupa Cagers right at their own turf, 88-82, Wednesday night at the Muntinlupa City Sports Complex.
The game’s best player in Mark Yee put up another sterling double-double performance as he scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, even as PBA veteran Leo Najorda and Bonbon Custodio provided the spark offensively as the Tigers took control of the game in the early goings and never looked back en route to convincing victory. They topped the south division with a 20-5 record going into the playoff round.
Homegrown talents Emman Calo and Louie Medalla ably filled up the shoes of ejected Custodio early in the final quarter, while big man Bogs Raymundo manned the paint and denied any uprising by the Munti cagers, led by Dave Moralde and Allan Mangahas.
With the loss, the Cagers fell into a tie with Batangas and General Santos on 14-10 cards, but skidded to third place behind last year’s titlist.
The Mindanao team of Claudine Bautista of Davao Occidental LGU, backed by Cocolife President Elmo Nobleza, FVP Joseph Ronquillo and AVP Rowena Asnan, will face the no. 8 team that is still to be contested, to get closer in fulfilling the Tigers’ mission of a Cinderella finish in the league organized by Senator Manny Pacquiao.