Rapide nips NRich, 91-90

Saturday, February 18, 2012

RAPIDE Auto Experts slipped past NRich Multipurpose Cooperative, 91-90, while Sta. Fe Resort registered its fifth victory as it outlasted Nena’s Rose II Shopping, 84-80 last Wednesday in Class B action of the 12th Tan Kek Pin Memorial Basketball Cup at TTHS Po Hang Gym.

Dr. Emil Guanzon drilled a right quarter court trey with 10 ticks. left in the game to complete Rapide’s comeback and notch its first in the tourney.

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In the opening quarter, Jose Miguel Montinola scored 16 points and Rey Jara added 6 to give Rapide a 26-19 lead.

Nrich rallied past Rapide at halftime to take a 40-38 lead behind Julius Teruel’s 10 points and Tubby Villanueva’s 5 markers.

Teruel sizzled with 18 third quarter points and teammate Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales added 10 to give NRich a 70-61 lead going to the last 12 minutes of the game.

When Teruel was kept in check in the 4thquarter, NRich relied on Rosales and Arvin Gustilo who contributed 9 points each. However, Rapide countered with a more balances attack to steal the victory, with Montinola delivering 9 points and Omar Galunan posting 8 points.

Montinola topscored for Rapide with 35 points, Galunan added 16, Uysang 15, Jara 7 and Guanzon 6 points.

Teruel finished with 32 points and Rosales accounted for 25 while Richard Tan and Gustilo delivered 11 points each.

In the other game, Sta. Fe Resort remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament with five victories behind Clarence Quingco’s 17 points, Jan Jan Young and Ren Ren Lacson’s 12 points each, Michael Ang and Bol Manaloto’s 11 points apiece and Johann Villanueva’s 8 markers.

Nena’s Rose was down in the opening quarter 22-13 and engage Sta. Fe in several lead changes in the next two quarters, trailing Sta. Fe by only a point, 61-60 going to the 4thquarter.

Sta. Fe kept its unbeaten slate alive, as it never surrendered the lead in the 4th quarter.

Vincent Tan and Kenderson Hao paced Nena’s Rose with 14 points each, Victor Go Jr. added 13 and Matthew Yap 9 points.

Crucial games will be played in Class A as it wraps up this Sunday. JSY Transport will play Talisay City at 6pm with the winner advancing to the semis. USLS Nhojs will also try to conquer UNO-R Polvora’s Law office for an automatic semis slot at 430 pm. The opening game will be for better quarterfinals position between Fil-Sino and Rogers/Province at 3 p.m. (Stephen Tan, contributor)