Cebu Classic falls to struggling Sarangani by 24 points
Jeco Bancale of Cebu Classic. | MPBL photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Classic continued its losing skid after falling to the equally struggling Sarangani Marlins, 95–119, in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) on Thursday night, June 5, at the Cuneta Astrodome in Manila.
This marked Cebu’s third straight defeat, dropping them to 21st in the standings with a 4–10 win-loss record. Sarangani, which tied Cebu and Valenzuela City Magic at 4–10, climbed to 20th place.
Kyt Jimenez spearheaded Sarangani’s dominant win with a stellar double-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting. King Destacamento also delivered with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks.
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Four other Sarangani players scored in double digits: Larce Sunga had 19 points, Martin Gozum tallied 15, Jeymark Mallari chipped in 12, and Coy Alves added 11.
Jeco Bancale led Cebu with 22 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, shooting 5-of-13 from the field. Dolan Adlawan followed with 15 points, five rebounds, and a block. Brylle Ivan Meca, Dennis Santos, and Jameson Hiro added 14, 13, and 10 points, respectively.
Sarangani took control early, racing to a 33–14 lead in the first quarter and stretching it to a 25-point advantage, 66–41, by halftime. Cebu never recovered in the second half, eventually falling by 24 points.
The Classic played without several key players, including Limuel Tampus, Mark Meneses, Ladis Lepalam, John Jabonete, and Rashawn McCarthy, all of whom didn’t play in the match.
Ironically, despite their depleted roster, Cebu has announced upcoming tryouts for interested players in both Manila and Cebu, with official dates yet to be revealed.
The Cebu Classic started the league on a winning note but has since struggled both in form and internal issues.
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