PBA-DL: Fruitas complete huge comeback over Cebuana Lhuillier; Hog's Breath, Blackwater pick up wins

Fruitas Shakers 75 - Cebuana Lhuillier Gems 72 The Shakers fought back from a 23-9 first quarter to give the Gems a taste of their own medicine, shutting down their foes with a 24-5 quarter to eke out a 75-72 win. After an atrocious first quarter performance from Fruitas, the team managed to bounce back by holding Cebuana Lhuillier to 27.9 percent shooting by the time the game was over, as the Shakers improved to 2-0. Cebuana Lhuillier on the other hand evened their card at 1-1. Carlo Lastimosa exploded for 22 points on 22 field goal attempts, center Russel Escoto had 13 markers and nine boards, while Carl Bryan Cruz and Roger Pogoy combined for 17 points and 13 boards. Rex Leynes led Cebuana with 11 in 14 minutes off the bench. Raymond Aguilar had 10 points and eight rebounds, but five of his team's 20 turnovers as well, while gunners James Martinez, Alvin Padilla and Paul Zamar combined for 23 points. + + + Hog's Breath Cafe Razorbacks 69 - Big Chill Superchargers 63 After scoring just nine points in their first two quarters in the PBA-DL, the Razorbacks scored just nine anew in the opening period of their second game. Luckily for them, Hog's Breath Cafe was able to find their scoring prowess later on, pulling away for a 69-63 win against Big Chill. Back-to-back hits by Kevin Racal put the Razorbacks up by one, 64-63 with 45 ticks left in the game. Off a timeout, Mac Montilla would miss, leading to another pair of Racal charities, 66-63. The Superchargers would get two attempts on the next possession, but both failed to drop anew, as their opponents would go on to close out this game at the foul line. Both teams evened their record at 1-1, with Big Chill unable to build off the momentum of dispatching reigning champions NLEX in their conference opener. Free throws continue to be an issue for the Superchargers. After winning despite shooting 20-of-35 (57.1 percent) versus the Road Warriors, they were even worse in this match, 15-of-32 (46.9 percent). The Razorbacks comparatively, made 21-of-28 from the stripe (75 percent). A pair of Letran Knights led the way for Hog's Breath. Kevin Racal notched 21 points, including a 10-for-11 clip from the foul line, plus seven rebounds and four assists, while Jonathan Belorio had a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards. Big Chill's Mac Montilla led his side with 16 points. Mar Villahermosa added 11, while former Adamson Falcons Janus Lozada and Alex Nuyles combined for 18. +++ Blackwater Sports 89 - Cagayan Valley Rising Suns 85 (OT) The combined scoring punch from Blackwater Sports' Allan Mangahas and Pari Llagas was able to negate the balanced scoring attack of the Cagayan Valley Rising Suns, as the former team notched their second win via an 89-85 triumph in overtime. Cagayan Valley nursed a 10-point, 46-36 lead at halftime, but their offense sputtered come the third, as they put up 22-12 period to enter the fourth knotted at 58-all. Off another deadlock, 72-all, Cagayan managed seven straight, before Justin Chua and Allan Mangahas kept Blackwater in step, 79-77. A triple by Mark Cruz was met by an and-one play by Mangahas, but Cruz was then unable to connect on a pair of crucial free throws with 21.2 seconds left in regulation. Off a jump ball, Blackwater's Pari Llagas was able to connect on a buzzer-beater, forcing overtime at 82-all. In the extra five minutes, Cagayan Valley seemingly ran out of gas, managing just three markers, which led to Blackwater notching the 'W.' Mangahas, the former Mapua Cardinals star, finished with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes of play. Pari Llagas added 22 points and eight rebounds, while Kevin Ferrer added 10 off the bench. Five Rising Suns scored at least 10 points, led by Adrian Celada's 17, with all his made field goals coming from beyond the arc. Chris Exciminiano added 13 markers, three boards, three assists and four steals, while Mark Cruz dropped 12. Starters Eliud Poligrates and Mark Bringas chimed in with 10 each. - AMD, GMA News