Gen San and Basilan upset more fancied rivals in MPBL

FIRST, it was Gen San, then Basilan followed suit.

On Tuesday night, upsets rocked the double header of the MPBL Datu Cup as favored squads Bulacan and Mandaluyong fell victim to their more resilient rivals.

Against the Kuyas of Bulacan, the Gen San WarriorsGolden State College bounced back from a mediocre first half and turned things around in the next 20 minutes of play to pull off a shocker in a low-scoring game, 56-43.

After being held to an alltime low 12 points in the first half, Gen San worked double time on the defensive end, limiting its rival to only 20 points in the next 20 minutes of play while outscoring them by 24 more points to pull off a come from behind victory.

It was the third win in a row by Gen San, which now improved to 4-4 and climbed into a tie for fourth to seventh spots along with Marikina, Zamboanga, Bacoor, and Laguna in the Southern Division of this event put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.

Delmar Mahaling finished with 15 points while Marlon Basco chipped in 11 for the Warriors, who held the Mighty Sports-backed Kuyas to 43 points, the lowest produced by any team in a game. In playing their worst game ever, the Kuyas absorbed their third loss in nine games.

Basilan completed the night of upsets with a stunning 70-68 squeaker of Mandaluyong, which lost a game playing in front of its hometown crowd for the first time in the tournament.

The Steel came out to spoil the fun, though, as Clark Bautista and Dexter Garcia combined forces in the fourth quarter as Basilan was able to do the unthinkable.

It was the fourth win in nine games for the Steel, who dealt the El Tigre their second loss in eight matches. —