Quezon City thwarts Muntinlupa in OT; Gerald Anderson leads Marikina

MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City Capitals kept their poise and bested the Muntinlupa Cagers in overtime to salvage a 100-97 victory Wednesday night in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu Cup at Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

Clutch free throw shooting saved the game for the Capitals, who have to go through extension after Cager John Ortuoste heaved a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left and knotted the count at 83-83.

Joco Tayongtong and Hesed Gabo made two charities each in the last 30 seconds to give the Capitals a 99-95 lead en route to the upset and a 4-8 record.

The Cagers, who squandered a 76-65 lead in the fourth quarter, dropped to 9-4, those losses coming in their last five games.

Gabo, a former Mapua Cardinal led the Black Mamba-sponsored Capitals with 20 points and 11 assists, followed by Andrew Estrella, another former Cardinal, with 18 points and seven assists.

Other major contributors for the Capitals were Jay Collado with 16 points and eight rebounds, Tayongtong with 16 points, and Alwyn Alday and Buenaventura Raflores with 10 each.

The Angelis Resort-backed Cagers got 19 points and 11 rebounds from Felix Apreku, 17 points and 13 rebounds from Dave Moralde, 11 points each from Ortuoste and Allan Mangahas, and 10 from Chito Jaime.

Earlier, the Paranaque Patriots bucked the breakout game of actor Gerald Anderson to beat the Marikina Shoemasters, 71-68.

Trailing by nine points, 50-59, early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots found saviors in Mac Montilla and Harold Arboleda to negate the game-high and career-high 20 points of Anderson and post their eighth win against seven losses.

Montilla fired nine of his 19 points and Arboleda five of his 13 in that span to lift the F2 Logistics-backed Patriots past the Shoemasters, who absorbed their seventh straight defeat and dropped to 4-10.

Affirming his Mr. Double Double moniker, Arboleda snagged 11 rebounds for the Patriots, now being mentored by Monel Kallos.

The MPBL visits San Andres Sports Complex on Thursday with General Santos City battling San Juan at 7 p.m. and Manila tangling with Basilan at 9 p.m.