GENERAL Santos—Gab Banal delivered as promised and led Bacoor City to a 92-78 whipping of General Santos City last Saturday night to complete a sweep of their best-of-three South division quarterfinal series in the MPBL Datu Cup.
Two nights after pumping in a career-high 31 points in a 90-80 Game 1 win, Banal poured in 19 and dished out 10 assists as the Strikers sucked the life out of the hosts at Lagao Gym with their efficient execution and unforgiving defense.
“We just stayed focused because we knew that Gensan would not go down without a fight,” said Banal, who guaranteed a Game 2 victory last Thursday for the Strikers.
The former Mapua Cardinal also strengthened his bid for the Most Valuable Player award by leading the fifth-seeded Strikers over the No. 4 Warriors to the second phase of the playoffs, where they will face the top-ranked Davao Occidental Tigers.
Unheralded Eman Calo, meanwhile, notched a career-high 27 points, while veteran Mark Yee produced a solid 14-point, 19-rebound outing as the Tigers survived the gritty Cebu City Sharks, 76-69, to also sweep their series.
Calo kept the Tigers in the game with his five triples early on, before veterans Billy Robles and Leo Najorda hit the clutch baskets in the fourth to finally end the Sharks’ resistance.