Embattled pro baller Mac Cardona starred in another basketball return as JPS Zamboanga City drubbed the Kapatagan Buffalo Braves, 89-53, in the Chooks-to-Go VisMin Super Cup Mindanao leg at Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay on Friday, July 9.

Gino Jumao-as and Rudy Lingganay led the balanced attack with 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Cardona chipped in 11 markers and 4 assists in 22 minutes.

Kapatagan failed to fully counter a strong 24-8 first quarter blast by their opponents, and only got as near as six points, 29-35, off a free throw by former Ginebra guard Teytey Teodoro with a minute left in the first half.

Zamboanga City then practically sealed the deal with an 11-1 finishing kick to end the third quarter up 25, 64-39, before peaking with a 38-point gap, 87-49, in the final minute of regulation.

In the lopsided win, NCAA Season 95 Finals MVP Fran Yu also chipped in 7 points off the bench in his pro league debut, albeit with a special guest license from the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) to keep his collegiate eligibility intact.

Marlon Monte led Kapatagan in the losing effort with 11 points off the bench, while Renz Palma and Alex Mandreza added 10 markers apiece.

That would turn out to be the final game of the day as the second match of the double-header slate between the Iligan City Archangels and ALZA-Alayon Zamboanga del Sur was called off due to inclement weather.

During the first quarter where Zamboanga led at the end, 13-11, the Ipil Provincial Gym reportedly got slippery due to rain drizzles entering the court, causing multiple players to slip for the entire period.

When usual remedies like mopping and pouring of sodas failed after about a 30-minute delay, league officials were then forced to call the game off for good, reset the scores, 0-0, and reschedule for another day.

“We would like to apologize to everyone that we’ll stop the game, because the court is just not playable enough to ensure the safety of the players,” said the league’s head of basketball operations Chelito Caro.

The league will have a one-day break as scheduled, and will resume on Sunday, July 11, with another double-header schedule in the same venue.

Iligan City will move on from Zamboanga del Sur for now, and prepare for the MisOr Brew Authoritea in the first game, while powerhouse Clarin Sto. Nino will face the Roxas Vanguards in the second. – Rappler.com