MJAS Zenith-Talisay controls 2nd half to win 6th in a row

THE MJAS Zenith-Talisay City Aquastars won their sixth game in a row with a 97-65 mauling of the Bohol Mariners in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup on Thursday afternoon, April 22, 2021, at the Alcantara Civic Center in Alcantara, Cebu.

The Aquastars got off to a sluggish start and at one point, even trailed by 11, 2435, in the second.

However, it was a completely different story in the second half as Talisay City rode the hot hands of Val Acuña and Jaymar Gimpayan in an 11-0 run at the start of the third that vaulted them to a 48-41 lead.

Patrick Jan Cabahug, Egie Boy Mojica, Darrell Shane Menina and Kevin Villafranca all joined the scoring parade during that crucial stretch that helped Talisay build a 6647 lead heading to the fourth.

The final canto was merely a formality as the Aquastars’ reserves poured it on to complete the 32-point rout.

All in all, Talisay outscored Bohol, 59-24, in the second half.

Talisay City now owns a perfect 6-0 (win-loss) mark while Bohol remains winless so far in this competition.

Acuña led the Aquastars with 14 points, highlighted by four three-pointers. Cabahug also made three triples to finish with 13 markers while Gimpayan had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Talisay City’s frontcourt also did a lot of damage as center Jhaymo Eguilos added 11 points, six boards and two blocks while Villafranca, a power forward from the University of San Jose-Recoletos, had his best game of the tournament so far with nine points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Jonathan Ibarra was Bohol’s high-point man with 16 while Joseph Marquez had 14 points and eight rebounds. Pari Llagas chipped in 13 points and 10 boards.