THE Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards woke up in time to frustrate the San Juan Knights 81-75 last Tuesday and stay unscathed in the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season presented by Xtreme at the overcrowded Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.
Trailing for the most part, the Rice Vanguards dropped 13 points while holding the Knights to a triple in the last four minutes to steal their second home victory and climb to 8-0 in the 22-team, 2-division tournament.
Other games saw Muntinlupa blow a 23-point lead and settle for a 65-64 squeaker over Bacoor, and Quezon City MG Cars trounce Mindoro 88-83.
Hesed Gabo poured 6 of his 16 points, Will McAloney added 4 of his game-high 24, while Jay Collado canned a three in that span to save the game for Nueva Ecija, which got tested to the hilt by San Juan after seven breezy victories.
Showing they are still a force to contend with, the 2019 MPBL Datu Cup champion Knights took away the Rice Vanguards’ run and gun game to lead by as many as 14 points, 52-38, in the third quarter and 68-72, with 4:08 to go.
Apart from McAloney, who made 6 of 7 attempts from the floor and 12 of 13 from the free thow line, and Gabo, who produced 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Rice Vanguards also banked on Michael Juico’s 16-point, 10-rebound effort to pull down the Knights to 3-4.
