MANILA-UST survived a hard-fighting Ormoc-OCCCI squad, 65-55, in the second day of competition in the PSL National Finals at the Victoria Sports Club in Quezon City.
Using its size, manpower and experience, Manila had to endure a gruelling three-quarter match before finally getting settled in the fourth.
The match was a virtual David versus Goliath as Ormoc, lacking in height, but displaying a big fighting heart, pushed its rival to the limit.
But the adjustments made by Manila of using a four-big line up proved to be the telling blow as it finally put away a team composed of a bunch of 14 years old competing in the 16-and-below tournament.
Three players wound up with a double-double performance with Gab Castro, Tayshaun Guerrero and Zaccary Valenzona doing much of the damage.
Castro pulled down 19 boards on top of producing 11 markers.
Guerrero scattered 13 points and added 12 rebounds, while Valenzona chipped in 10 markers and hauled down 11 caroms as Manila just as expected lorded it over in the battle of the boards, 65-40, to enter the win column in the group stage.
Ormoc, which played the last game in the opener and saw action in the very first game of the second day, absorbed its second loss.
Pangasinan banked on its dynamic duo – Jann Domingo and Jheremy Godoy – to wallop Misamis Oriental, 69-43.
Domingo and Godoy combined for 50 of their team’s total output as the fearsome twosome proved to be too much to handle for Misamis Oriental.
