Six straight games and the Philippine Merchant Marine School cagers have remained undefeated in the NCRAA men’s basketball tournament.
The Mariners added sinking Asian Institute of Maritime Studies to their list of victims following a 95-71 win and served noticed of their title aspirations.
PMMS joined defending champion Olivarez College and Centro Escolar University as the only other undefeated team in the tournament. The Mariners and the Sea Lions, joint leaders in Group A, will collide on the final day of the elimination round to determine the top seed heading to the quarterfinal round.
Coach Aldrin Morante, also the head coach of the Pampanga Lanterns in the MPBL, drew big games from Bryan Hilario, Joshua Templo and Mark Agustin to put away AIMS.
Hilario scored 12 of his 22 points in the first period alone, while Templo picked up from where his teammate left off and added 12 of his 15 points in the second period as the Mariners gained control of the match.
Agustin also made key contributions by dropping 10 of his 14 in the third, allowing the Mariners to secure another one-sided victory, one that would ready their troops for the much-awaited showdown with the Seahorses.
PATTS College of Aeronautics, on the other hand, moved closer to securing a quarterfinal berth by whipping Pasig Catholic College, 91-81.
John Cymon Reed poured in 11 points in the first period to jumpstart the Seahorses’ blazing start all the way to securing a convincing win.
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa salvaged some measure of pride by defeating Emilio Aguinaldo College-Cavite, 90-78.
