Huskers torch Golden Coolers

The Quezon Huskers turned hot in the fourth quarter and rallied to beat the Rizal Xentromall Golden Coolers, 83-78, and regain traction in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season elimination round at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City.

Trailing, 56-69, the Huskers clustered 20 points, highlighted by Judel Fuentes’ 13 straight, with 5:12 to go to seize control at 76-69, en route to snapping their two-game slide and climbing to 17-2 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.

Fuentes finished with 33 points, three rebounds and two assists to earn the Daily Fantasy Best Player honors.

Jason Opiso provided support with 10 points and so did LJ Gonzales with eight, all in the last quarter where he and Fuentes outscored the entire Rizal crew 21-14.

Other Huskers who delivered were Ximone Sandagon with seven points and four rebounds and Gab Banal with six points plus six rebounds.

The Golden Coolers, behind Alwyn Alday, Kraniel Villoria and John Apacible, surged ahead 57-44, halfway through the fourth quarter but couldn’t sustain their fire and drop to an 11-10 slate.

Alday wound up with 29 points, three rebounds and four assists, Villoria tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds plus six assists, and Apacible 14 points plus five rebounds.

In other games, Parañaque subdued Quezon City TODA Aksyon, 74-62, and Bicolandia nipped Bulacan, 73-72.

The Parañaque Patriots, drawing firepower, from JR Olegario, John Uduba and Paolo Castro, pulled away at 62-43 and never wavered en route to a 13-8 card.

Olegario notched 21 points and three steals, Castro 11 points and five rebounds, and Uduba 10 points and seven rebounds for the Patriots, who struck from long range, sinking 9-of-19 triple tries for a high 47.4 conversion rate.