MANILA---Clifford Hodge and Jaypee Belencion came to NLEX’s rescue as the Road Warriors slipped past the PC Gilmore Wizards, 88-87, yesterday to grab the solo Group A lead in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup.
Hodge completed the game-winning three-point play with 3.9 seconds left, minutes after Belencion shone in a key stretch that got the Road Warriors back from a double-digit deficit in the main game at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao.
Earlier, Alfred Gerilla drilled nine of his team-high 15 points in a fourth-quarter surge that propped up the FCA Cultivators over the Maynilad Dragons, 77-67.
Hodge pumped in 21 points on top of five rebounds and two blocks for the Road Warriors, who claimed the Group A lead with a 3-1 record.
Belencion knocked in three straight treys in a second-half run that pushed NLEX ahead for the first time, 66-64, after trailing by as many as 13 in the second half.
The Wizards, who dropped to fourth at 2-1, had a shot at winning the game but Jett Vidal’s jumper fell short at the buzzer.
The Cultivators climbed to a share of second at 2-1 while the Dragons slipped to 2-2 in Group B.
The scores:
First Game
FCA 77—Gerilla 15, Mallari 13, Husted 13, Cole 10, Reyes 7, Canlas 4, Pascual 4, Dizon 3, Bulawan 3, Co 3, Custodio 2, Datang 0.
MAYNILAD 67—Lanete 21, Lim 10, Marcelo 8, Diputado 7, Pascual J. 6, Caram 4, Dela Rosa 4, Pascual K. 4, Semerad A. 2, D. Semerad D. 0, Villahermosa 0.
Quarters: 22-12, 37-39, 57-55, 77-67
Second Game
NLEX 88—Hodge 21, Sangalang 18, Belencion 16, Menor 10, Ellis 7, Salamat 6, Abueva 5, Raymundo 4, Co 2, Tesoro 0, Dehesa 0, Pascual 0.
PC GILMORE 87—Lastimosa 24, Acosta 18, Vidal 11, Mangahas 10, Cortez 6, Sinco 5, Sarangay 4, Magbanua 4, Agas 3, Parala 2, Dysam 0.
Quarters: 16-21, 36-44, 63-64, 88-87
First Game
FCA 77—Gerilla 15, Mallari 13, Husted 13, Cole 10, Reyes 7, Canlas 4, Pascual 4, Dizon 3, Bulawan 3, Co 3, Custodio 2, Datang 0.
MAYNILAD 67—Lanete 21, Lim 10, Marcelo 8, Diputado 7, Pascual J. 6, Caram 4, Dela Rosa 4, Pascual K. 4, Semerad A. 2, D. Semerad D. 0, Villahermosa 0.
Quarters: 22-12, 37-39, 57-55, 77-67
Second Game
NLEX 88—Hodge 21, Sangalang 18, Belencion 16, Menor 10, Ellis 7, Salamat 6, Abueva 5, Raymundo 4, Co 2, Tesoro 0, Dehesa 0, Pascual 0.
PC GILMORE 87—Lastimosa 24, Acosta 18, Vidal 11, Mangahas 10, Cortez 6, Sinco 5, Sarangay 4, Magbanua 4, Agas 3, Parala 2, Dysam 0.
Quarters: 16-21, 36-44, 63-64, 88-87
