Black Hawks grab solo lead

Thursday, October 13, 2011

ARMED with the stunning presence of veteran coach Manny Diaz, the White Stallions did succeed to bring down Erwin Raagas and the Blue Titans, 85-78, in the 1st Oro Bankers Inter-Color basketball tourney on Wednesday at the Nazareth gym, Cagayan de Oro City.

This, as the Black Hawks continued to play mind over matter to hand the Red Typhoon of its second-straight defeat, 65-56, and took the solo lead (2-0) in the four-team double round-robin event, showcasing the best hoop talents from the Cagayan de Oro Bankers community.

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Hired by team managers Jessie Tolod and Mafel Gatchalian after the Stallions' opening round loss to Black, the Xavier University's colorful coach managed to put order in White's play, mainly buoyed by the dynamic foursome of PJ Sanchez, Stephen Go, Thirdie Cui and Anton Pabillore.

With the undersized Cui taking pain in guarding the 6-foot-3 Raagas and Pabillore enjoying the comfort of manning the point without much challenge, White's one-two punch of Sanchez and Go effectively set a whirlwind attack that bewildered Blue's defense starting in the third quarter.

So smooth that the trigger-happy Sanchez finished the game with 35, 3 points better than the numbers put up by Raagas during Blue's 69-65 debut against the Red team. Go had 28 for White as Blue drew 27 and 22 points each from Marvin Luke Neri and Raagas.

"Since our college days at Xavier University up to now, wala pa koy nakita nga sentro parehas kang Erwin. He will eat you alive if he'll let you play in his comfort zone. I'm so happy nga na-minimize lang nako gamay iyang output," Cui humbly told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

"Actually, naa pay missing piece sa among opensa. And that we'll try to figure out sa sunod nga mga dula," added Angel Dollente, White's so called sweet-shooting guard.

Despite the absence of Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno, who delivered Black's winning assist in Game 1, the soaring Hawks played true to mindset -- intelligent basketball -- to spoil Janjan Hengania's first appearance with the winless Red.

Little-known Mon Collera began to etch a name as Black's vital cog with a team-leading 20 points, followed by Jet Yaranon's 17 plus a balanced contribution from the bench that compensated James Simon's relatively off-night.

The gamble made by ageless shotmaker Charome Marte did not also slip through the noses of tournament director Arnel DyShines, tournament commissioner Hermogenes Anciado and the rest of the every Wednesday and Friday tourney's jaded observers.

Sacrificing quality minutes on the floor, Marte took the coaching chore instead and success he did.

"We're greatly surprised kay maski ilang mga tigulang nag-blend well sa opensa," said Andrew Canlas, Red's leading scorer in Game 1 debacle.

Red's youthful troika of Ryan Arpay, Paolo Ostrea and Nino Cadiz were able to come up with double-digit figures. But overall, the typhoon failed to put their acts together on both ends of the floor.

"I should not be playing kay wala koy tulog gumikan sa panghitabo nga subo kaayo. Anyway, try na lang namo nga makabawi sunod," said Hengania, among the cornerstones of Metrobank's storied past in the Oro inter-bank, whose cousin Police Officer 3 Quirico Portallo was apparently killed in a shoot out with robbers at the newly-opened Puerto Flyover here on Tuesday evening.

The scores:

Black Hawks 65 -- Collera 20, Yaranon 17, Banaag 6, Marte 5, Timonera 4, Agcopra 4, Simon 3, Manila 2, Paler 2, Pastor 2, Cabahug 0, Ranes 0, Galvez 0, Desucatan 0.

Red Typhoon 56 -- Arpay 17, Ostrea P. 14, Cadiz 10, Pareja 7, Hengania 1, Mahawan 0, Padilla 0, Halasan 0, Canlas 0, Galapate 0, Sescon 0, Lagasca 0.

2nd game

White Stallions 85 -- Sanchez 35, Go 28, Borinaga 6, Pabillore 5, Cui 4, Meralles 3, Yacapin 2, Tandoy 2, Canadilla 0, Pajaron 0, Tolod 0, Deguit 0, Sablada 0, Dumaya 0.

Blue Titans 78 -- Neri 27, Raagas 22, Varga 14, Valencia 5, Abueme 5, Ostrea R. 4, Pabelic 0, Ocaya 0, Cabase 0, Baltazar 0, Melitante 0, Valmorida 0.