Monday, July 25, 2005
CDO vs Parañaque tonight at XU gym
By Lynde Salgados
CDO Stars and Parañaque Jets, both coming from defeats in separate NBC matches in Mindanao, lock horns 6 p.m. Monday at the Xavier University gym.
Humiliated the last time around by the formerly winless Zanorte Hornbills, the CDO Stars hope to snap their losing spell in front of the home crowd.
"We are desperately looking for a big win against the Parañaque Jets," said CDO Stars statistician Dindo Escobido.
Youthful Andy Calingin has decided to replace erstwhile PBA mentor Arlene Rodriguez as comebacking head coach of the struggling Stars, and is confident to guide his wards to their second win in five outings.
Calingin is expected to rely on the fivesome of Ronan Isidro, Balong Ramos, Don Tadena, Rey dela Victoria and Ismael Culdora, even as he can also count the presence of 6-foot-4 veteran Nick Jabagat in the middle.
Ex-Purefoods Hotdogs penetrator Rommel Daep did not see action in CDO's 78-82 loss to Zanorte in Dipolog city, making him a doubtful starter for tonight's tussle.
"Pero maayos na ngayon ang sistema ng team kaya wala na ako sa kanila," texted then Rodriguez who was given the release paper along with Paolo Malonzo, now the starting pointguard of the Hornbills handled by CDO-based coach Ruel "Wiwi" Daba.
Meanwhile, the Iligan Crusaders of Mayor Lawrence Cruz leaned on the fourth quarter explosion of Gerry Cavan to turn back the visiting Parañaque Jets, 88-81 on Saturday night at the jam-packed MSU-IIT gym in Iligan city.
The KSK Foor Products (Boy Bawang)-backed Jets of Vice Mayor and actor/TV host Anjo Yllana seemed headed to a victory after erecting a 13-point lead, 71-58, behind a 7-0 opening blast in the payoff period.
But Dondon Mendoza, Jose de Guzman and Joseph Roque combined for 12 points in a 15-0 run capped off by Cavan's first of three triples from the left flank to overtake the Jets, 73-71, with 4:52 left.
Cavan was just starting to get hot as he drilled in back-to-back triples on the same spot sandwiching Roque's charity split giving the Crusaders a five-point buffer, 80-75, in the 2:57 mark with the crowd erupting into frenzied celebration.
"I told them that we shouldn't panic and get back into the game slowly. And I challenged them to play with pride in defending our home court," Iligan coach Billy Reyes said when they were downed by 13 at the start of the final quarter.
The Crusaders, backed by Krisland Commercial, Varf Belmonte, Gaisano-Iligan, Lian Hong, Soda Enterprises, ABU Caltex, Upper Pool, Tita Fannie's, Tatay's Grill, Café Hermoso and JJ Horizon, extended their home mark to 4-0.
The 6-foot-1 Cebuano guard was all over the court in that stretch as he also stymied the Jets' offense with a steal, a rebound and dove for the looseball to save a possession for the Crusaders, who moved within half game behind the Hapee/Dewfoam-backed Mantawi Sparkling Nights (5-3) at 5-4.
"I told Gerry (Cavan) to just shoot and he finally hit his stride in the fourth quarter. But what was more impressive was his defensive effort," Reyes said.
The Jets came within four, 85-81, on Niño Marquez's free throws in the final 51 seconds but that proved to be their last gasp as they turned the ball over in their final two possessions to seal their fate.
Marco Fajardo topscored the Crusaders with 15 markers while Cavan wound up with 13 points on a 4-of-9 shooting from the three-point area. De Guzman added 13 and seven boards while Roque also sparkled with his brilliant playmaking chipping in 13 points, a season-high seven assists, one steal, one block with no turnover in 22 minutes.
Rollie Basilides and Marquez paced the Jets with 23 and 20 points, respectively.
The Jets dropped to 3-4 in the tournament supported by Panasonic, Sulpicio Lines, Spring Cooking Oil, Accel, Molten, Nature's Spring, Far Eastern Insurance, Skygo Motorcycles, Sirlitz Solutions Provider, Hapee Toothpaste, Dewfoam, KSK Food Products (Boy Bawang), Bayview Park Hotel and Holiday Plaza-Cebu.
The Ozamis Cotta and the Tribu Sugbu are locked in a two-way tie on top of the southern conference with a 7-2 card followed by Mantawi, Iligan, Valencia Golden Harvest (3-5), Iloilo Warriors (2-6), CdO Stars (1-4) and the Zanorte Hornbills (1-8). (With NBC poll reports)
The Jets are lagging behind the Forward Taguig (6-0), Cavite Insurers (6-5), Laguna Spring (4-3) but ahead of the northern conference's cellar dweller Baguio Lions (1-5).
The Scores:
Iligan 88--Fajardo 15, Cavan 13, Roque 13, De Guzman 13, Mendoza 9, Barbosa 9, Sagad 6, Ayodelle 5, Baguio 3, Dy 2, Canoy 0, Reyes 0, Torio 0, Faustino 0, Oliveros 0.
Parañaque 81--Basilides 23, Marquez 20, Rodriguez 9, Saquilayan 7, Lopez 6, Guiyab 4, Ruiz 4, Yambao 3, Tolentino 3, Buendia 2, Bognot 0, Ollado 0.
Quarters:25-20, 47-48, 58-64, 88-81.
(July 25, 2005 issue)
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