PD 888 Tropics Restobar kicked off its title retention campaign by routing Pag-ibig Fund 96-64 while Probac conquered Nepan Clear 104-85 in the 10th Tak Kek Pin Memorial Basketball Cup in Tay Tung High School Po Hang Gym in Bacolod City.
Pag-ibig Fund had problems containing slot man Garry Garcia who singlehandedly match their first quarter output to give Tropics a 25-15 lead.
In the second quarter Pag-ibig Fund Bryan Alunan and Donnel Asan contributed eight and five points, respectively while Tropics answered with Chad Prietos eight points, and Paul Pineda six points, as Tropics kept a 46-37 lead the break.
Tropics is stepping up its defense in the third quarter limited Pag-ibig Fund to five points, all scored by Harry Siendo.
Tropics employed a full court press and controlled the rebounds at both ends of the court led to Ryan Agena and last year's MVP Warren Alintano delivered 11 and six points to score on several fast break points, leading to a Tropics 25-point output and extend the lead to 42-71.
Agena backstopped Garcia with 14 points, Chad Prietos 11, Alintano 10, Pineda six points.
Alunan was the lone double-digit scorer for Pag-ibig with 21 points, Rine Miag-ao eight points, Angelito Dumdum and Orlando Lamis had six points apiece.
Probac broke away from a close ballgame in the last 4:30 of the third quarter with Probac leading 59-58, a 15-3 closing quarter run engineered by the troika of Joseph Wong, Sherman Gonzales and Sylvester Millevo gave Probac a 74-61 lead.
Nepan rallied behind Ryan Angayon to cut the lead to 76-68 with 6:34 left. But Sherman Gonzales scored six straight points, and Carlo Diaz added five straight points to extend the lead to 90-72 lead.
Angayon led another 13-5 run to cut the lead to 95-85 with 1:40 left, but Probac finished Nepan with a 9-0. Angayon contributed 15 points while 10 players scored for Probac in the quarter.
Probac took the half 52-49 led by the 33 ponts played by JR Fernandez with 11 points, Carlo Diaz 11, Chu, 9 while Felipe Sandoval fired 14 points, all in the first quarter, Angayon 11 points, Andres 8.
Carlo Diaz finished with 16 points, JR Fernandez chipped in 15 Gonzalez with 14, Ren Ren Lacson 11, Carlo Chu 9, Jason Olmedo 7, Joseph Wong Wong and Millevo 6 ponts apiece.
Angayun had a game high 26 points, followed Felipe Sandoval 15, Ariel Andres 12, JP Balderas 8, and Severino Ngalongalay 5.
Bracket C will open on Thursday at TTHS Gym with first game: My Spaghetti House vs Cebu Sendai Motor Sales; second game -- Johann Kendrick Tan vs Terra Dolce. (Stephen Tan)