Displaying team effort to the max, Bacoor downed San Juan, 69-66, late Friday in the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.
Getting 19 points from Mark Montuano and six other players, the last four from Lester Reyes and Salvador Galit, the Strikers negated the 11-point fourth quarter explosion of Judel Fuentes to post their third win in eight starts and stay in contention for a quarterfinal berth in the single round-robin elimination phase of the 22-team tournament.
A jumper by Fuentes pushed San Juan Go for Gold ahead, 66-64, with 1:30 left.
The Strikers kept their poise, however, as Reyes drove in and Galit nailed the go-ahead jumper that also turned out to be the game’s final basket with 37 seconds to go.
San Juan saw its three-game run broken and dropped to 6-5.
Montuano presided over Bacoor’s offense with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Galit chipped in 10. Reyes contributed 9 points and 11 rebounds as the Strikers ruled the boards, 51-47.
Fuentes wound up with 20 points and Orlan Wamar 16 for San Juan.