Knights prime up vs Blades, rout Eagles

Andok’s San Juan primed itself up for a much-awaited encounter with unbeaten LBC Batangas with a 129-109 rout over a luckless TPG-Davao side yesterday in the second phase of the 2001 MBA season at Tinga Gym in Taguig.

The victory, the Knights’ fourth straight since dropping their opening day game to the Negros Slashers, served as a big boost for the team which tests the Blades’ mettle tomorrow at the San Juan gym. LBC Batangas paces the North Conference with a 5-0 slate.

Bruce Dacia finished off what he started in the third quarter as he came through with a seven-point binge in the final four minutes of the contest that anchored the Knights’ runaway victory.

It was the high-leaping Dacia who also keyed the Knights’ decisive run in the third quarter, where he scattered 16 for his 29 points as the Knights turned a 68-69 deficit into a 93-81 lead late in the period.

The Eagles, behind Genesis Sasuman’ three triples, struck back to close within five, 105-110, but their bid fizzled out as Sasuman fouled out.

Sasuman led all scorers with 30 points, including 16 in the second half, but he failed to draw support from the rest of the team as TPG-Davao absorbed its third straight setback in as many games.

Like in their first encounter, which the Knights won, 108-81, the Eagles were able to keep abreast with the Knights and even led at 69-68 in a Blitz 3 by Romy dela Rosa.

In the other game, Stephen Padilla and Carlos Sayon combined for 25 of Cebuana Lhuillier’s 30 fourth quarter points as the Gems rallied from a 14-point deficit to turn back the Socsargen-Taguig side, 90-86. — Joey Villar