Gio Lasquety got a solid performance from his old hands, and the Jose Rizal University (JRU) debuting coach passed his initial test with flying colors as the Heavy Bombers smothered Mila’s Lechon, 96-67, on Thursday in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Jeckster Apinan, Ervin Grospe and Paolo Pontejos showed the newbies how it’s done, taking much of the load for the debuting Heavy Bombers.
JRU went to Pontejos, who scored 12 of his game-high 14 points in the first half and helped the Heavy Bombers turn an 18-22 deficit into a comfortable 39-29 lead at the half. He also had six rebounds and four assists.
Then, Apinan took over to provide the finishing touches for the Heavy Bombers, who had 11 of 13 players scoring two or more points.
Apinan finished with 20 points to go with his 14 rebounds , while Grospe contributed 16 in the 29-point demolition job.
Lasquety said he was overwhelmed by their early success.
“It feels so sweet. Sweeter than when you’re playing on the court,” said the 24-year-old Lasquety, who became the youngest head coach in D-League history.
“I am thankful with the way the players responded and how they executed the plays. We played well on defense, and they followed the game plan to the letter.”
Leo Gabo carried the Mighty Roasters with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Andoy Estrella got 13 points in the loss.