Tigers growl, shock Classics

The Davao Occidental Tigers silenced the packed crowd at the WES Arena with a 79-65 beating of the Valenzuela Classics in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Sixth Season elimination round on Thursday.

With Jun Manzo, Kenneth Ighalo and Bambam Gamalinda notching double figures, the Tigers surged ahead at 51-35 en route to their eighth win against two losses in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.

Manzo finished with 15 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds for the Tigers, the 2021 MPBL Lakan Season champions. Ighalo posted 12 points and nine rebounds while Gamalinda tallied 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Yutien Andrada contributed eight points and six rebounds for the Tigers, who gained control with a 10-point cluster in the first quarter, 17-8.

Valenzuela, missing the services of the injured Dennis Santos, the suspended Orin Catacutan and Filipino-Peruvian Val Chauca, tumbled to 6-5 despite the 17-point, three-rebound effort of Chris De Chavez and the 10-point, three-rebound output of JR Quiñahan.

The Tigers ruled the boards, 50-41, which resulted in 48 points against only 22 for the Classics.

Earlier games saw Manila thwart Rizal, 75-67, and Pasay stun Binan, 76-65.

Powered by Greg Slaughter and Carl Bryan Cruz, the Manila Stars led throughout in rising to a 7-4 record.

Asserting his seven-foot frame, Slaughter posted 16 points, 19 rebounds, five assists and two blocks while Cruz tallied 20 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

They were supported by Filipino-American DJ Mitchell with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists, Pao Javelona with nine points, five rebounds and four assists and Jan Jamon with eight points and four rebounds.

Rizal Xentromall, which fell to 6-4, drew 20 points, eight rebounds and three steals from Keith Agovida and 10 points each from Charles dela Cruz and Alwyn Alday.

Laurenz Victoria and Patrick Sleat pushed Pasay away at 74-59 before the Voyagers cruised to their sixth win in 10 outings.

Victoria posted 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds while Sleat tallied 13 points, five assists and three rebounds for the Voyagers, who rebounded from a 96-88 beating dealt them by the Mindoro Tamaraws on 25 May.