Nueva Ecija held off repeated rallies by Alpha Omega before posting an 81-77 win and scoring its second straight win in the Pilipinas Super League President’s Cup late Tuesday night at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
Michael Mabulac flirted with a triple-double performance as he finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Capitals, who scored 22 points coming off 18 turnovers of the Kings.
As a team, Nueva Ecija also dished out 30 assists, half than what Alpha Omega could produce.
Michael Juico led the scoring parade for the Capitals with 13 markers.
It was the second straight win in four days for Nueva Ecija, last season’s champion in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, but was dethroned this season and opted to join the PSL’s new season.
Caloocan posted a 71-61 triumph over Shawarma Shack to stay unbeaten after three games.
Jeramer Cabanag was the only lone double-digit scorer for the Supremos with 19 points, but his teammates provided him with a little bit of everything, particularly on the defensive end.
Caloocan’s domination in rebounding was very much evident, pulling down 51 boards, 17 more than its counterpart. The Supremos also produced 32 points from players coming off the bench compared to 19 posted by their rivals.
“I’m happy to handle Caloocan, particularly the former PBA players, because they’re easy to handle. They’re coachable,” said Supremos head coach Robert Sison. “They really play their roles well.”
