MANILA, Philippines - Raymund Almazan imposed his will and came up with 20 points and 14 rebounds while Jonathan Semira poured all his 15 points in the third quarter as EA Regen pulled away for a 74-63 victory over Fruitas in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City yesterday.
Semira went three-of-five from the field and hit all but one of eight free throws to anchor the team’s third straight victory and fourth overall in six games for a share of third.
EA Regen outscored Fruitas, 25-14, in the pivotal third.
“Jonathan hit his mark but we also dominated the boards and that keyed our win,†said EA Regen coach Allan Trinidad.
The towering presence of Almazan, who posted his third straight double-double output, Jimbo Aquino and Ian Sanggalang in the paint altered lots of shots and prevented the Shakers from employing their running game.
Aquino also turned in 13 points and 11 rebounds while Sanggalang pulled down 14 boards as Team Delta gained a 58-49 edge in the rebounding battle.
The win should augur well for EA Regen, which faces off with league-leader Blackwater Sports (5-1) on Tuesday.
Carlo Lastimosa led all scorers with 25 points, including six straight that sparked a 10-5 run, shoving Fruitas to a 42-41 lead with 5:43 remaining in the third.
Jumbo Plastic stunned Cebuana Lhuillier, 90-71, in the other game to notch its third win in eight games and keep its flickering playoff hopes alive.