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Davao Occidental Cocolife Tigers pulled off another escape act against the Pasay Voyagers, 69-67, in the elimination round of 2019-2020 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Season at the Pasay Astrodome Monday night.
Visayan superman Billy Ray Robles scored on a barreling drive for the winning score at the buzzer after Pasay playmaker Alejandro Inigo leveled the game at 67-all with 17 seconds remaining.
The close shave win by the Tigers, owned by Dumper Party List Rep. Claudine Bautista of Davao Occidental and backed by Cocolife President Atty. Jose Martin Loon, FVP Joseph Ronquillo, AVP Rowena Asnan and SVP Franz Joie Araque, bounced back from a sorry loss against Bacoor and improved their record to 3-1.
Robles top-scored for the Datu Cup South Division champion Tigers with 12 points, while new recruit James Forrester and shooter Joseph Terso with 10 apiece.
Mark Yee, the game’s Best Player, posted another sterling double-double performance with his 11 rebounds and same number of points.
Inigo’s explosion inside and beyond the arc and a late assault by Ron Lastimosa from downtown obliterated the Davao Cocolife Tigers’ 13-point lead and gave Pasay its first taste of the lead down the stretch.
But it all went down the drain behind the heroics of Robles and the tight endgame defense of the Tigers in their classic scape to victory.
“We relaxed a bit after building huge lead. Sabi ni coach, stay focused and no room for complacency kahit sino kalaban,” said Yee, regarded as one of most explosive players in the league organized by Senator Manny Pacquiao.