By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Cebu Greats battered the Negros Hacienderos, 124-77, to extend their hot run in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City on Monday night, July 6.

With 14 Greats scoring, Cebu started with a 10-0 spurt and was never headed to notch its sixth straight win and climb to 13-3 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 27-team tournament.

Homegrown acquisition Elmer Echavez struck the hardest for Cebu with 19 points and 17 rebounds, followed by five other Greats in double figures.

The 6-foot-2 Echavez was named the SportsPlus best player over Simon Camacho, who posted 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Ron Dennison, with 12 points, four assists and two rebounds.

Fil-Am CJ Payawal contributed 11 points and three rebounds; Alvin Baetiong, 10 points and five rebounds; and Mark Meneses, 10 points, four rebounds and two assists in less than 12 minutes of play for Cebu.

Negros, which tumbled to 1-13, drew 17 points, six assists and five rebounds from Achie Inigo; 13 points, four rebounds and three assists from Reymar Caduyac; and 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals from Mike Alvarez.

Exploiting their height advantage, the Greats ruled the boards, 78-43, and outscored the Hacienderos, 68-30, in the paint.

“We won because of our defense, all-out effort, and helping each other out,” Echavez, a 26-year-old forward from the University of San Jose – Recoletos Jaguars, said./ASC, WDJ