Julian Sargent and Marinerong Pilipino made a strong statement on its way to the playoffs.
The energetic forward tallied 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting to power the Skippers to a 125-71 demolition of AMA University on Thursday that secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.
It was the fifth consecutive win by the Skippers, who finished the elimination round with a 6-4 won-lost record.
Donald Gumaru scored 18 point off the bench, Mark Isip had 15 while Rey Publico and Renzo Subudo combined for 28 points for the Skippers, who made 56 of 94 attempts for an excellent 60-percent field goal shooting.
Well aware of the implications between winning and losing, the Skippers went down to work early and ripped the game apart in the second quarter.
Isip, the most experienced among the Skippers, took over from Sargent in the second quarter, scoring 11 points in the period as Marinerong Pilipino outscored AMA, 31-13, to take a comfortable 64-39 cushion at the half.
“This is a good win. It gives us some confidence heading to the playoffs. I kept reminding the players that the playoffs is an entirely different level. The good thing is we have veterans who have been there,” Marinerong Pilipino Coach Koy Banal said.
Banal realized their chances of making it deep into the playoffs will be tough, if not impossible. The Skippers face third-seed Tanduay, which holds a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
“I already told myself that we’ll be challenging the top teams early in the playoffs. So I always tell my players to focus on things we have control of and face the challenge. Everything happens for a reason,” he said.
Marinerong Pilipino practically dominated AMA in all departments. Besides outshooting their foes, the Skippers also took a 48-28 advantage off the boards, had a 19-4 edge on steals and a 31-15 margin in steals.
The Skippers also exploited AMA’s 36 turnovers that netted them 57 points. They led by as many as 57 points late in the game.
Daniel Salonga scored 14 points, Kris Alas had 13 and Mario Bonleon chipped in 12 for AMA, which shot a woeful 46 percent while allowing the Skippers to get away with 92 points in the paint.
AMA wound up its elimination round campaign with a 1-9 mark.