Bulacan grabs solo lead
Alcoriza and Raflores tallied 16 points apiece followed by Nacpil with 14 points plus nine rebounds.
Bulacan took some time warming up before turning on the heat and routing Quezon City, 100-84, to grab the solo lead in the OKBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Fifth Season late Thursday at the Star Arena in Baliwag, Bulacan.
Powered by Rence Alcoriza, Buenaventura Raflores, Jerick Nacpil, Gwyne Capacio and Kentoy Segura, the Kuyas surged to an 81-51 spread after three quarters to seal their third straight win in this 29-team regional tournament.
Earlier, Imus and General Santos prevailed in opening assignments.
Imus SV Squad kept its poise to subdue the Negros Muscovados, 88-83, in overtime while the GenSan Warriors turned back the Mindoro Disiplinados, 87-78.
Alcoriza and Raflores tallied 16 points apiece followed by Nacpil with 14 points plus nine rebounds.
But it was Capacio who emerged as best player of the game with a 12-point, 10-rebound, six-assist effort for the Kuyas.
Segura contributed 11 points while Jerick Fabian chipped in seven points and seven rebounds and Daniel de Guzman added six points and nine rebounds for the Kuyas, who pounded Quezon City Gaz N Go inside the paint with a decisive 64-31 edge in rebounds.
Quezon City, which dropped to 1-2, got 22 points from homegrown Victor Nuarin, 19 from Eduardo Doroteo and 13 from Patrick Bacay.
Joseph Peñaredondo knocked in five straight points while Jimboy Estrada added two more in a 7-2 salvo that swayed the balance for Imus, 86-81, in the extra period.
Estrada, the St. Clare standout and National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities Most Valuable Player, finished with 26 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals for Imus while Peñaredondo finished 13 points and six rebounds and Jaymar Gimpayan registered 10 points and 16 rebounds.
Negros, which skidded to 1-2, got 22 points from Pao Javelona and 17 from Jason Melano, who forged the overtime at 75-75 after grabbing the rebound off his second free throw miss and scoring underneath with six seconds left.