By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negros Muscovados strengthened its roster further ahead of its Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) return this year with the signing of two veteran wing players.

The Muscovados announced yesterday the signing of Algin Andaya and Leo James Ingles, who have MPBL experience with Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines and Valenzuela, respectively.

The Navotas City-native Andaya is a 6-foot-1 small forward who previously played for San Pablo College, while the Malabon City-native Ingles made a name for himself with local leagues in his city.

Andaya and Ingles will complete the Muscovados roster after they recently parted ways with Filipino-Norwegian center Ken Sagulo Holmqvist and Filipino-American guard RJ Ramirez.

Spearheading the Muscovados squad of head coach Rolando Aledron, Jr. were former PBA players Nico Paolo Javelona from Bacolod City and Cebuano big man Jason Melano.

The Muscovados also had a handful of homegrown players, with team owner John Alfred Gilbor, Jose Piero Dominic Longa, Ritcer Santillan, Bill Geolingo, and Randy Colonia.

Completing the Negros squad were veterans Edrian Lao, Richard Albo, Mark Maloles, Lugie Cuyos, Jonathan Gantalao Jr., Kevin Rey Villafranca, and Aneclito Dularte.

Serving as assistant coaches to Aledron were John Imperio, Vicente Plagata, Jr. and Jorge Bernard Sausa, Jay Divinagracia as conditioning coach, Rendel Patricio as scouting coach, and Joseph Guilaran as team PT.

The Muscovados, which is in its second MPBL season this year, was founded by the late Engineer Bernabe Gilbor, with John Alfred Gilbor and Grace Gilbor serving as team owners and Jonathan Sy as partner.

The Muscovados, which dropped all of its five matches in their 2021 MPBL Invitational stint, will open their 2023 MPBL season campaign against Quezon Huskers on March 11 at Quezon Convention Center./ASC, WDJ