Pacquiao's Warriors knocks out Cebu's 30-game win run

Manny Pacquiao’s MP GenSan Warriors delivered the knockout punch to end ML Kwarta Padala Cebu Niños’ 30-game winning streak in the Tournament of the Philippines (TOP). The Warriors hit key baskets and made all the needed stops in the homestretch to score a stunning 79-74 victory over the Niños on Thursday in TOP’s seventh leg at the Emilio Aguinaldo College gym in Manila. Behind a balanced-scoring attack, that saw five players scoring in double figures, and backed by a solid defense, the General Santos City-based squad earned the bragging rights of dealing Cebu its first-ever loss in the tournament jointly organized by the Philippine Basketball League and Liga Pilipinas. But more importantly, the Warriors snapped the Niños’ amazing run that began during last year's Liga Pilipinas Conference III where they went on a 21-game rampage then won nine more in TOP’s three legs. "I told my players to enjoy every minute of the game and if we play loose we can achieve our goal of ending Cebu’s winning streak," said Gensan coach Fean del Rosario, whose squad celebrated on the bench as the final buzzer sounded. Cebu’s last defeat was a 64-52 setback against Misamis Oriental in Game 5 of the Liga Pilipinas finals for the Conference II crown on April 20, 2009. MP GenSan’s frontline tandem of Christian Nicdao and Angel Raymundo held their own against the Niños’ veteran big men to key the Warriors’ win Nicdao, a former Far Eastern University King Tamaraw, had 17 points and seven rebounds while Raymundo notched a double-double with 16 and 13. Also helping Gensan's cause are John Gonzaga, Jasper Callo and Dave Sagad who all scored 10 points each with Sagad adding 11 rebounds. Sweet-shooting guard Jonathan Parreño also came through with two crucial treys in the final two minutes. After Cebu's Bruce Dacia scored on a reverse layup off two defenders to cut the lead to two, Parreño drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer for a 73-68 GenSan cushion with 3:03 to go. Stephen Padilla, who finished with 21 points but shot 7-of-21 from rainbow country, buried his own triple to cut the lead to 74-71, 1:17 remaining but Parreño answered wih another trey off a tapped pass by Raymundo with 61 ticks left. Dacia and Ariel Mepana scored 12 points apiece for Cebu with the latter grabbing eight boards. Center Marlon Basco, a former Liga Pilipinas MVP, hauled down 11 rebounds but was scoreless in 25 minutes of action. In the second game, Pari Llagas scored the game-winning basket to lift Cobra Energy Drink to an 82-80 win over Ani-FCA to force a knockout doubleheader for the finals berth. Former University of the East stars Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna registered 16 points each while Peejay Barua knocked in 14 markers for the Ironmen. Christian Luanzon led the Cultivators with 15 points while Roel Hugnatan added 13 more in the loss. – JVP, GMANews.TV