Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Lactea cagers solidify hold of top spot in PPSA
THE Lactea Cagers cemented its hold of the top post after closing its quarterfinal round campaign with a 98-88 beating of the Samsung (Du Ek Sam) TV Makers in the Punta Princesa Sports Association Tribu Guardo Sinulog Cup basketball tournament at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Gym last weekend.
The win was Lactea’s sixth in seven games and propelled ahead of everybody else going into the championship game.
After an 18-all standoff at the end of the opening period, the TV Makers unleashed a 25-17 blast to erect an eight-point lead, 43-35, at the bend behind the assault of pointguard Lito Navarro, Robert Abasolo and Ric Arias.
Lactea bounced back in the penultimate period as it employed a press defense at the start of the period anchored on Luther Magallano, former University of Southern Philippines Panther Dodong Espinosa and Hector Unajan.
The sticky defense eventually dismantled the TV Makers’ offensive stance.
Power center Glenn Cabiluna, playing coach Jun Felicitas and William Jabines then combined efforts in engineering an searing 31-8 rally for Lactea that overhauled the deficit and erected a commanding 15-point bulge, 66-51, en route to the pay-off canto.
The Lactea quintet wisely protected its double-digit advantage in the final period to cruise the win.
Cabiluna led all Lactea scorers with 21 points, while Felicitas added 14 markers. Tata Mansubre was also a big factor for Lactea’s win as he chipped in 10 points, while Serge Cortes also knocked in 10.
Fifth win
Navarro and former MVP Robert Abasolo scored a game-high 25 and 14 points, respectively, to lead Samsung. Junard Ciabo and Ric Arias added 10 points each in a losing cause.
Meanwhile, the Black Arrow Security Agency scored their fifth win in seven outings after routing VSC, 113-91, to forge a sudden-death championship showdown against Lactea this week.
Former UV Lancer Rene Toring and ex-SIT Skyblazer Benjie Tomaquin led the Securitymen with 27 and 19 points, respectively, while Johan Bulado, Pete Patrimonio and former Negros Slasher slotman Julius Gastador combined for 45 points.
Jeffrey Miquiabas and former commercial standout Reggie Licanda paced VSC with 21 and 18 points, respectively, while Marlon Lumayag and Edward Solon added a combined 29 points in a losing cause.
In a non-bearing game of the triple header, Sista Super Sealers trounced Julies Bakeshop-Oslob Branch, 114-109.
