MANILA, Philippines - Alex Nuyles scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in the first half as Freego Jeans whipped RnW Pacific Pipes, 93-55, to gain a twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinals in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome yesterday.
The Jeans Makers combined excellent shooting with solid defense while dominating the both boards to close out their elims campaign on a winning note following back-to-back setbacks to NLEX and Café France.
“We were particularly frustrated about our defeat against Café France so we agreed to bounce back and win big,” said Freego Jeans coach Leo Austria, whose wards finished the qualifiers with a 7-3 card.
Hitting 52 percent of their shots, the Jeans Makers built leads of as many as 20 points (48-28) in the early going and cruised to victory in the final half.
Lester Alvarez added 13 points and combined for 10 assists with Nuyles. Freego wound up with 25 assists, 13 more than Pacific Pipes.
Raymon Ilagan tallied 20 points and Michael Miranda added 13 markers for Pacific Pipes which fell to 4-5.
In the other game, Cobra Energy Drink closed out its elims stint with a stunning 72-63 victory over a skidding Blackwater side.
“It’s a great feeling to come out with a victory. We learned a lot from this tournament,” said Cobra coach Jerry Codiñera.