Derrick Brown and Leon White found another easy prey in Askia Jones and Bu Willingham and the Hotdogs had another relatively easy time coasting to victory.
It was their third successive win since a 69-89 blowout by the Coca-Cola Tigers last March 3 and that guaranteed their passage into the eight-team quarterfinal round. The Hotdogs went on a three-game romp before bowing to the Tigers.
"We thought Shell would not give it easily. We expected Shell to go flat-out since it needed to win badly. But we have our own goal which is to win as many games as possible to hopefully make it to the top four," said acting Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
"We’re getting the feel of it. And as we get a little successful, the more we want to work harder because we like the feeling of being on top," added Gregorio as they seized the solo lead anew with a 6-1 win-loss card.
Red Bull was relegated to second place with a 5-1 record.
Shell, meanwhile, found itself plunging to the tail-end of the chart as it suffered a fifth straight loss and sixth in seven games.
Curiously, practically the same Shell team topped the eliminations of the same tournament last year with an 8-5 slate.
The Turbo Chargers’ dilemma was compounded with Willingham still couldn’t put up a performance expected of an import. The gangling and fumbling Shell reinforcement was good for only eight points for the second straight game.
Tony dela Cruz scored a career-high 22 points, enabling Shell to put some semblance of a fight early in the contest. Jones carried the load for Shell with 36 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
For Purefoods, Brown and White continued to be a lethal combination.
Brown had a game-high 41 points on top of six rebounds and four assists while White added 17 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Purefoods also drew sustained firepower and steady play from its local mainstays.
Ronnie Magsanoc and Alvin Patrimonio had clutch baskets down the stretch, helping the team finish off Shell.
Shell had come within three points at 76-79 when Magsanoc rifled in a triple and the Hotdogs gained enough breathing room when Brown banged in another trey at 85-76 entering the final four minutes of play.
When the Turbo Chargers drew close again at 81-85, Patrimonio hit a decisive basket and the Hotdogs eventually broke the back of their rivals.