FLASHY CEBUANO guard Eliud Poligrates has found his niche and his game as he scored 27 points to lead the Cagayan Valley Rising Suns to a 107-75 rout of the Fruitas Shakers in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup yesterday at the Jose Rizal University gym in Mandaluyong City.
Poligrates, a guard formerly from Southwestern University who has a flair for flash unlike any other in the Cebuano basketball scene, anchored a third period run with consecutive three-pointers that sparked a 19-2 run for an 80-48 bulge heading to the final canto.
The win allowed Cagayan to come within a win away of getting the number two seed and the outright semifinal slot that comes with it.
The Rising Suns can secure the coveted spot and join top-seed and defending champion NLEX in the Final Four with a victory against Blackwater Sports [6-3] to close their elimination round stint tomorrow.
Jose Rizal University also nailed an all-important win against Erase Xfoliant, 74-61, in the second game to cement its place in the quarterfinals.
Dexter Maiquez scored 14 and Philip Paniamogan had 13 for the Heavy Bombers [5-4], who have a chance to earn a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters if it wins it last game against Cebuana Lhuillier at the close of the elimination round on Jan. 31 coupled by a loss by Big Chill [5-4] against Café France on Jan. 29.
Kevin Racal scored 20 points and Jett Vidal added 13 for the Erasers, who picked up their sixth consecutive loss and fell to 2-7 overall. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio