Gatorade-San Mateo tabs PGBL top spot

MANILA, Philippines – The Gatorade-San Mateo Spurs whipped up a second half storm as they turned back the Harbour Centre-Charlie’s Dymons, 59-54, Monday night to clinch the top spot of the PSA Pakitang Gilas Basketball League Willie Caballes Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Malaya’s Jerome Lagunzad had game-highs 19 points and 18 rebounds while blogger Eric Uy had 14 points, eight assists and four steals to power the Spurs to the No. 1 spot with a 5-1 (win-loss) card going into next week’s page system semis.

In the first game, AKTV sportscaster Chiqui Reyes posted his second triple double to lead the Meralco Tigerscribes past the Antonov Vodka Smileys, 84-75 in this event sanctioned by the PSA, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Powerade and Gatorade.

Reyes had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in what was a preview of the first playoff shodown next Monday.