Marinerong Pilipino fended off Apex Fuel-San Sebastian, 86-74, to begin its 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup campaign on a high note on Saturday, July 9 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Skippers squandered a 16-point lead in the first half but managed to restore order in the third quarter behind the efforts of Jollo Go, Juan Gomez De Liano and Warren Bonifacio to list their first win in the tournament.
Go spearheaded the attack for Marinerong Pilipino with a double-double of 23 points and 10 assists while De Liano added 20 points. Bonifacio added 10 points and six rebounds.
The Skippers went off to a hot start and built a double-digit spread at the end of the opening frame, 25-13. De Liano and Go then connived in the second quarter as they established a 16-point cushion, 43-27.
Refusing to go down without a fight were the Stags as Ichie Altamirano and Raymart Escobido spearheaded a 12-1 spurt to tie the game at 46-all.
Apex-SSC even took a four-point lead, 56-52, halfway through the third frame before the Skippers embarked on a 14-2 finishing kick. The spurt proved to be the deciding rally as Marinerong Pilipino rebuilt a 12-point lead, 66-58, before keeping the Stags at bay for the rest of the game.
Altamirano paced Apex-SSC with 17 points while Escobido added 11 which all went down the drain.