Pasig Rizal held Surigao to just four points in the last six minutes of the contest to pull off a 74-61 road victory yesterday in the MBA FedEx Crossover Cup at the Urios Gym in Butuan City.
With their defense holding, the Pirates called on Jonathan de Guzman and Warren Ybañez, who combined in a decisive endgame run that powered the visiting squad to its third straight victory after dropping its opening day match to the Davao Eagles.
The Warriors actually had the chance to turn the game around but just couldn't penetrate through the airtight defense put up by the Pirates. Surigao dropped to 1-4.
The Warriors, behind Richard Melencio's inspired game, engaged the Pirates in a close contest in the first three quarters, but the former Laguna Lakers star hurt his back after a bad fall midway in the fourth and the hosts struggled from there. -