CHRISTOPHER Gayotin showed up with his shooting touch as Bank of Rizal nailed its first win in the 8th Corporate Cup after outlasting Phelps Dodge, 83-76, last March 29, 2025.
After trailing by four in the first quarter, 22-18, Bank of Rizal posted a narrow 38-37 lead at the end of the half but found itself trailing by five, 62-57, going into the final period.
However, Bank of Rizal found its groove in the pivotal period as Gayotin, Michael Neri and Jaezon Estella hit their shots for their first win this season,
Gayotin had an impressive 31 points, missing just three of his 13 shots, while hitting 11 of 16 from the line.
On the other hand, Neri had 18, including three triples, while Estella finished with 15 as Bank of Rizal improved to 1-1 in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Avantrac also cruised to its second win after routing Dwightsteel, 74-60.
Noriko Benedicto and Lawrence Gayotin combined for 30 points as Avantrac started strong in the first, 23-10, before cruising to a 44-26 score at the half.
On the other hand, Miggy Dela Torre had 24 for Dwightsteel, while Darwin Gabaca had 17 as the team stumbled to their second straight loss.
LightPanel also nailed its second straight win after an 89-61 rout of Island with Tristan Cabrera leading the charge with 20 points.
LightPanel had a 12-point lead at the end of the first two periods, 26-14, and 44-32, but blew the game open in the third, 70-52, thanks to its balanced attack.
Garrick Bande had 13 points, while Arnulfo Ricaplaza, Rogen Budiongan, and Chris Giango had 11 each.
Brennon Gothong led Island with 16, while John Ryan Jumao-as had 13.