LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Lindon de Guzman scored 53 points to lead Mankayan past Bakun, 116-99, as they bounced back from a loss to Itogon before the Yuletide break last year Saturday at the Benguet Sports Complex here in the Cong. Eric Go Yap Cup Benguet Basketball League.
In setting the second – best score in the league, de Guzman drained eight from downtown as he added 11 assists while pulling down five rebounds for the team’s fourth win in eight games that placed them seventh in the standing ahead of Buguias (3-4 win-loss) which is playing Kibungan as of this writing.
Joshua Arttime backed de Guzman with 24 points in a double-double performance as he added 17 boards, while adding five assists in his stats.
Neil Bondad had a game high 25 rebounds on top of his 16 markers. The Mankayan big man also dished six dimes, while adding a single steal and three blocks.
Zeus Candelario was two boards short of a triple-triple as he scored 14 points and dished 13 assists as the point guard pulled down eight boards.
Ryan Contada once again led Bakun with 36 points while he pulled down 13 rebounds and added seven boards. Tristan Antonio backed him with 20 points, dished 12 assists and pulled eight rebounds.
Rex Kitayan somehow matched Bondad’s tenacity under the board as he led Bakun in rebounds with 23. He also scored 14 to go with his six assists, three steals and a single block. Hazriq Monte chipped in 11 points, while Cesar Kitayan, Jr. added seven, the only player who did not score in double digit for Bakun which only had five men against the six of Mankayan.
“Again it is the number of players who report every game. If we could just have more men during game time then we could win more, especially against the top teams,” said de Guzman.
Mankayan will face three of the stronger teams in their last four games. It will be Kapangan on January 11, neighbor Buguias on January 14 and Kabayan on January 18.
In fact the team is virtually tied with Buguias for the last two seats. Their last game will be against Kibungan on January 21. CEGYCC Release
