HARDWORKING forward Harold Arboleda had a perfect game and the Parañaque Patriots-F2 Logistics stayed unbeaten after two games in the MPBL Datu Cup at the Olivarez College Gym late Tuesday night.
The former NLEX Road Warriors hit all of his seven attempts from the field on his way to finishing with a career-high 26 points to power the Efren Uy-backed Patriots to an 81-73 win over the Cebu Sharks-Casino Ethyl Alcohol.
He hit five of his shots from beyond the arc then also made two other attempts from the perimeter as the ex-pro kept a hold of the Patriots throughout the match.
Arboleda also finished with a double-double performance as he pulled down 11 rebounds while also adding six assists as his overall performance rubbed off on the Patriots, who gained a share of the lead in the southern division of this event put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.
Arboleda attributed his game to the trust being given to him by his teammates, but believes the success was a product of a collective effort.
“Everybody’s been working hard during practice,” added Arboleda. “When you do that, everyone in the team will be pumped up to do their part and make contribution.”
Playing in front of their hometown crowd since winning game one of their semifinals series against Muntinlupa last season, the Patriots struggled in the early goings, trailing by as much as 15 points, 32-17, in the second quarter.
But the Patriots clawed their way back into the contest as they held their rivals to only two field goals for nearly seven minutes in the second quarter and ended the half trailing by only a point, 38-39.
Earlier, Juneric Baloria and Daniel de Guzman returned to Parañaque, but this time, they guided their new team, Pampanga, to an 81-80 squeaker of Bataan in the first game.
The two former stalwarts of the Patriots were key figures in the Lanterns’ first win of the season.
Baloria, a deadshot shooting guard, knocked in 24 points while De Guzman, a hardworking forward, added eight markers and six boards.
But it wasn’t their contribution in the offensive end which keyed the Lanterns’ victory alone.
Marlon Gomez, an undersized center/forward, grabbed 13 boards while also provided the inside presence which Pampanga badly needed.
The Lanterns booked their first win despite missing the services of ex-PBA players Jimbo Aquino and Mike Juico.
Aquino suffered a pulled muscle in his leg while Juico served a one game suspension after getting ejected in his team’s first game of the season. — Rey Joble
