Trading maintain top billing

TOP-SEED AACI Trading lived up to its billing as the team to beat, holding off AACI Transport, 101-92 while No. 3 Royal Star Transport, behind Michael Ang’s heroics, upset No. 2 Huminova Tigers, 88-81 in Class A division semifinals of the 2012 Fil-Sino All Asian Countertrade Inc. 1st Conference inter-color tournament at TTHS Po Hang Gym.

AACI Trading will be heavy favorites against Royal Star, as they play in the finals tonight at 8 p.m. following the championship game in Class B between No. 1 Organic Solutions and No. 3 Jast Enterprises.

Trading sported an 8-1 win-loss slate in the tourney. Its only loss was inflicted by AACI Farms, ironically a team that placed last in the elimination round.

AACI Transport held a slim 30-29 opening quarter lead, with Richard Co and Bong Palo combining for 15 points against Trading’s Julius Teruel and Arvin Gustilo picking up 10 points apiece.

Trading wrested the halftime lead 55-51, as the outside gunners of Trading connected with Daniel Chiu sinking three treys, Mark Binguan adding two triples and Robbie Jalando-on contributing seven points. Yan Yan Dy scored eight points for Transport.

Charlton Ong scored nine points in the 3rd quarter to counter the balanced Transport offensive, as Trading remained on top, 70-65 at the end of the quarter.

Palo and Bol Manaloto combined for 13 4th quarter points but Chiu remained hot from beyond the rainbow area, adding three more conversions. He was supported by Jalando-on and Gustilo who combined for 15 points, sealing a finals berth for Trading.

Gustilo paced Trading with 20 points, Chiu added 18 points, Jalando-on and Teruel shot 14 points each, Johann Villanueva and Charlton Ong made 11 points apiece and Binguan scored nine points.

Palo finished with 14 points, Chibon Uy delivered 13 points, Dy hit 12 points, Manaloto and Co put up 11 points each, Jose Miguel Montinola delivered nine points and Jolly Castillo had eight points.

In the other game, Royal was able to avenge its two losses in the elimination round to the Tigers behind the 3rd quarter performance of Michael Ang.

From a 35-all standoff, Michael Ang shot six triples to finish with 19 points, all scored in the 3rd quarter, to give Royal Transport a 64-58 lead going to the 4th quarter. Brgy. Capitan Biboy Yap scored 10 points to cushion the impact of Ang’s 3rd quarter offensive explosion.

Danny Boy Uy, Badong Eufre and RB Chua combined for 19 points, as they rallied the Tigers in the payoff quarter, but Royal slowed them down with Rey Pandoro and Matthew Yap sinking eight and six points, respectively, to frustrate the comeback of the Tigers.

Peter Paul Ortaliz scored a gamehigh 16 points, backstopped by Pandoro with 13 points, Yap 12 points, Marc Lo and Roger Montalbo with eight points each.

Uy finished with 14 points in a losing effort, Monroe Chua and Johnnyson Yu added 12 points apiece, RB Chua contributed 11 points and Ralph Richard Tan chipped in nine points. (Stephen Tan)