USLS humbles Rogers

Monday, February 13, 2012

UNIVERSITY of St. La Salle-NHOJs streaked to its third victory, as it held off Rogers Province of Negros Occidental, 104-101 while JSY Transport rallied past Fil-Sino B-Meg Mang Inasal, 94-79 last Saturday in Class A action of the 12th Tan Kek Pin Memorial Basketball Cup at the Bacolod Tay Tung High School Po Hang Gym.

Rogers/NegOcc led in the first half, 45-38 behind the trio of Joemarie Bayhon with 14 points and Richard Verayo and Rodel Canino combining for 15 points. Arturo Cuaresma tallied 12 points and Nikos Cuenca sank 7 points for the Stingers.

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USLS relied on their cohesion and fastbreak opportunities to turn the tables on Rogers in the third quarter to take the lead going to the pay-off period, 72-68, as Kevin Villafranca made 11 points while Allen Delagente and Cuaresma delivered 8 points each.

Rogers powered its way in the low post to take the lead anew at 76-74, but Emman Sevilla teamed up with Villafranca for a 7-0 run to put USLS on top for good.

Rogers employed physical full-court press to force turnovers after Villafranca’s bunkshot put USLS on top at 93-84. Bayhon converted on a trey and followed it up with a 4-point play while a Peewee Demonteverde free throw cut the deficit to 98-96 with 1:23 left in the game.

Harvey Eslawa’s two charities and a Villafranca jumpshot gave USLS some breathing room, even as Rodel Canino’s dunk cut the lead to only four points with 30 ticks left.

Demonteverde drilled a quarter court trey to draw closer at 103-101 with 6.2 seconds remaining but Rendell John Bernales nailed two free throws to ice the contest and preserve the Stingers’ unbeaten streak in the tourney.

Villafranca finished with 32 points, 15 of which he delivered in the pay-off quarter. He was backstopped by Cuaresma with 20 points and Cuenca with 10. Sevilla and Bernales conspired for 13 points, all scored in the fourth quarter.

Canino and Bayhon paced Rogers with 23 points each. Mark Ramos added 14 points, Leo Batog picked up 12, Verayo had 10 and Demonteverde tallied 8 points.

In the 2nd game Fil-Sino duplicated USLS Stingers’ performance in the first three quarters by overcoming a 43-36 first half deficit and surging to a 71-66 lead in the third canto behind the combined 21-points effort of Carl John Oquindo and Robbie Jalando-on and the inside points of Arnold Gono and Richard Caberte who scored 6 points apiece .

The fourth quarter was a different story. Fil-Sino, playing with only 8 players, run out of steam and their offense sputtered for only 8 points in the quarter.

On the other hand, JSY’s Arnol Laureño netted 12 points on lowpost incursions while teammate Ely Olarte nailed three treys in the quarter.

Olarte topscored for JSY with 23 markers on 7 treys, Laureño picked up 17 points, Virgilio Dapar dropped 10, Pipo Javelona scored 9 while Vengie Vergara and Ruel Balgos contributed 8 points each.

Jalando-on finished with 17 points, Oquindo scored 16, Caberte and Ritchie Militante contributed 12 each and Gono shot 10 points.

Meanwhile, in Class B action last Friday, Sta. Fe Resort remained unscathed in four games, holding off NRICH Multipurpose Cooperative, 95-89.

Bol Manaloto topscored for Sta. Fe with 23 points, Clarence Quingco added 20, Ren Ren Lacson shot16 and Michael Ang made 9 points.

Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales scored 20 points, Romar Desusa shot 19 while Nico Lopingco and Arvin Gustilo made 15 points each.

Nena’s Rose I registered its 1st victory over Rapide Auto Experts, 93-75.

Yan Yan Dy paced Nena’s Rose I with 21 points, Dr. Chico Coruña added14 and Luigi Coo made 13 points. Rapide was led by Monroe Chua with 22 points, Chris Lim with 14, Dr. Emil Guanzon 13 and Omar Galunan with 11 points. (Stephen Tan)