Sangalang towers as NLEX bulldozes Freego in D-League finals opener
Ian Sangalang set the pace for NLEX dominance as the Road Warriors waylaid Freego Jeans, 75-51, Thursday in Game One of the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup finals at the Ynares Sports Arena.
Sangalang finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks to lead the Road Warriors.
Aside from NLEX showcasing its superior talent, the Jeans Makers struggled with their shots, shooting just 17-of-61 (28%) from the field in the game.
“They were just missing their shots. Probably, they’re off because of their long break, but I know that Freego will be back so we need to be ready,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez.
The Road Warriors can sweep the finals series on Tuesday at the Fil Oil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.
After taking a 21-16 lead in the first quarter, the Road Warriors forced the Jeans Makers to miss all their shots in the last seven minutes of the second. NLEX once again limited its opponents to less than 25 points in the first half to take control 40-21, at the half.
NLEX continued to turn the heat up in the second half, playing as if the team was trailing by a wide margin. The Road Warriors’ lead was biggest at 29 points, 54-25, in the third quarter when Dave Marcelo converted a short stab.
“We are trying to dictate really on defense. In our game against Big Chill, we gave up so many points so our goal is to limit our opponents to 70 points and I’m happy that my players really stepped up and followed the game plan,” Fernandez said.
RR Garcia turned in 13 points, five rebounds and five assists while Calvin Abueva grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds including six on the offensive end.
Lester Alvarez had 13 points, but made just one basket out of 10 shots from three-point range as the only double digit scorer for Freego. Eric Camson and Alex Nuyles combined for 15 points but shot five-of-16 from the field.
Scores:
NLEX 75—Sangalang 20, Garcia 13, Lanete 8, Hodge 8, Abueva 7, Monfort 5, Marcelo 5, Co 3, Hermida 2, Suguitan 2, Belencion 2, Arao 0, Ellis 0, Dehesa 0.
FREEGO 51—Alvarez 13, Camson 8, Nuyles 7, Cabrera 6, Manyara 5, Apinan 4, Austria 2, Brondial 2, Lopez 2, Lozada 1, Elinon 1, Monteclaro 0.
Quarters: 21-16, 40-21, 57-32, 75-51.
Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/sangalang-towers-as-nlex-bulldozes-freego-in-d-league-finals-opener
