PBA D-League: NLEX posts 4th win over Freego in last game for '11

Cliff Hodge supplied the offense for NLEX while Chris Ellis provided the defensive intensity as the Road Warriors trounced the Freego Jeans Makers, 76-59, in their final PBA D-League Aspirants Cup game for the year on Tuesday at the San Juan Gym. It was NLEX's fourth straight win to improve to 5-1 for fourth place while Freego dropped to 6-2 to remain second behind Cebuana Lhuillier's 7-1 slate. "I want to have just one loss before January," said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez, who reminded the Road Warriors' of their unexpected loss to the Big Chill Superchargers early in the season. "This win would be a good preparation for our games in January." Hodge, in the absence of stalwart Ronald Pascual who's out with an ACL injury, put on a one-man show in the fourth quarter where NLEX pulled away. He and Ellis were at the forefront of the Road Warriors’ offense. Hodge, who opened the final quarter with a two-handed jam, scored nine of NLEX's 21 points in the fourth. He scattered 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Freego was also playing shorthanded since veteran point guard Jerick Cañada left the Jeans Makers to play for the Indonesia Warriors in the ASEAN Basketball League next year.   Ryan Monteclaro, who also plays for the Adamson Falcons, will be taking over Cañada's place in Freego's backcourt. Hodge and Ellis alternated in scoring the points for NLEX as the Road Warriors enjoyed a 22-14 spread in the second period. Monteclaro, however, buried a pull-up jumper to spark a 9-3 exchange as the Jeans Makers pulled within two (25-23). Eric Camson scored back-to-back lay-ups while Alvarez hit a three-pointer in that scoring run. Both teams had their own respective scoring spurts after that until Garvo Lanete, who played his first game after being sidelined by a knee injury, connected from beyond the arc to give the Road Warriors a 54-47 edge, a lead they held on until the final buzzer. Leading scorer Alex Nuyles, back from a shoulder injury, was held to three points and missed his two three-point attempts. — JVP, GMA News