THE REIGNING champions NLEX Road Warriors and the Cagayan Valley Rising Suns are just one win away from the championship round after they hurdled their respective opponents in convincing fashion in Game One of the best-of-three semifinals series of the PBA D-League Aspirant’s Cup yesterday at the Ynares Sports Arena.
NLEX got off to a fast start and did not look back as the Road Warriors beat the Jose Rizal University, 105-85, while the Rising Suns lambasted Blackwater Sports, 91-76.
The Road Warriors hardly showed any rust in spite playing their first game since Dec. 20 as Ian Sangalang got the party started in the first period, wherein he scored 12 points en route to a 26-13 NLEX lead.
Nico Salva scored 17 for the Road Warriors. Sanggalang had 14.
In the first game, James Forrester 25 points to help the Rising Suns pull off the victory./Correspondent Jonas Panerio