CEBU, PHILIPPINES — The Cebu Greats/MJAS Zenith extended their hot streak to six games with a 124-77 obliteration of the Negros Hacienderos in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season 8 on Monday night, July 6, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Elmer Echavez delivered his best performance yet in Cebu uniform with a solid double-double of 19 points and 17 rebounds.
Five other Cebu players cracked double figures, including Simon Camacho with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Greats won 11 of their last 12 games to grab the solo second place in South Division standings with a 13-3 slate.
Ron Dennison added 12 points, CJ Payawal scored 11 while Mark Meneses and Alvin Baetiong tallied 10 markers each in Cebu’s wire-to-wire victory.
The outcome of the match was already a foregone conclusion when Cebu took a 53-29 lead at halftime, which it padded to 83-52 after three quarters.
The Greats kept on pounding the hapless Hacienderos in the final stretch on the way to a 47-point blowout.
Cebu will next face the Bacolod Mascarras on Thursday, July 9, at the STRIKE Gymnasium in Bacoor, Cavite.
Afterwhich, the Greats will brace for back-to-back home games against the Biñan Tatak Gel on July 16 at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City and versus the Batang Kankaloo on July 18 at the Cebu Coliseum.
| Written by Emmanuel Blanco Villaruel
