Scorpions overpower Chargers, enter playoffs

Games on Monday (Filoil Flying V Centre, San Juan)

1:30 p.m. - BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare vs McDavid-La Salle Araneta

3:30 p.m. - iWalk vs Marinerong Pilipino

5:30 p.m. - Hazchem vs Asia’s Lashes

MANILA, Philippines — No head coach Derrick Pumaren, no problem for unbeaten Centro Escolar University as it cruised to an easy 120-84 win over neophyte iWalk to seal a playoff ticket in the 2019 PBA D-League Foundation Cup yesterday at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao.

Playing without their mentor who had to attend an urgent matter, the motivated Scorpions still lived up to their lofty billing as the league’s heavy favorites,  jumping past the Chargers with a big 65-36 spread at the half.

CEU pounced on the hapless iWalk from there on, leading by as many as 39 points in the blowout victory.

Senegalese big man Maodo Malick Diouf was a man among the boys anew, coming through with 29 points and 21 rebounds in a double-double game he laced with eight assists, two steals and five swats in an overpowering performance.

Team captain Rich Guinitaran paced the locals with 21 markers with three triples while Kurt Sunga and Eric Tuadles checked in 17 and 12, respectively.

CEU, which defied the odds finishing second behind Cignal-Ateneo last conference despite a mere eight-man roster, thus stretched its unblemished streak to four games, joining Marinerong Pilipino (4-0) in an early playoff passage from Group A.

In other game, Black Mamba topped Italiano’s Homme, 80-75, to enhance its playoff bid in Group B.

John Tayongtong led the way for Black Mamba with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals as the D-League first timer climbed to third spot with a 2-1 card just behind unbeaten BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare (3-0) and playoff-bound TIP (5-1).