Friday, February 01, 2008
MLKP wins Sinulog Cup
By Rommel C. Manlosa
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
THE M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Jewelers used various defenses to subdue the ragtag Fifth Avenue Telecoms, 83-78, to win their first title of the year in the knockout championship game of the 2008 MVBA Sinulog Cup Basketball Championship at the Cebu Coliseum last night.
With its match-up defense mocked by the talented Telecoms in the first quarter, coach Yayoy Alcoseba used the 2-3 zone to neutralize Fifth Avenue.
“Our match-up defense was not working in the first quarter because we had no intensity. That’s why we shifted to zone defense in the second because they had no shooters outside,” Alcoseba said after the game.
Bruce Dacia, who averaged 20 points per game, and flashy guard Woodrow Enriquez, who had 14 a game, were named co-Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Dacia topped all scorers with 20 points for M. Lhuillier, while Vergara topped the losing Telecoms with 14 points.
After a quick 5-0 at the start, the Jewelers went cold as the Telecoms went on a 21-4 binge with Ronnie Zagala eating up the defense of Stephen Padilla. Zagala scored 12 points for a 21-9 lead at the 1:06 mark of the first quarter before M. Lhuillier narrowed it down to 21-13.
With its zone and match-up defenses confusing the Telecoms, the Jewelers were able to tie the game at 27 at the 4:39 of the second before wresting the lead away on a 12-3 blitz to close the first half at 39-36.
Allan Salansang tied the game for the second and last time for Fifth Avenue with a triple early in the third before Padilla hit back-to-back triples that spelled the doom for the Telecoms for good.
After center Ron Capati gave the Jewelers a 10-point lead following a conventional three-point play with 1.5 ticks remaining in the third, M. Lhuillier protected the double digit lead for the next six minutes and 38 seconds in the fourth.
However, a last gasp from the Telecoms, keyed on Salansang and Al Vergara’s treys, cut the deficit to single digit at the final 63 seconds.
Despite holding the opponents scoreless in the last 2:05 of the game, the Telecoms could not find the momentum that could reverse the outcome of the game.
The victory of the Jewelers earned them the P100,000 top prize of the five-day tournament, while Telecoms went home with P50,000.
The Toyota-Balintawak Road Kings, on the other hand, captured the third place trophy with a 106-98 win over the Pharex Medics and earned P30,000 for the victory. The Medics earned P20,000 for the defeat.
Cebuano Patrick Cabahug topped the Road Kings with 26 points, while another Cebuano Roderick Bughao lead Pharex scorers with 21.
Toyota (106) – Cabahug 26, Guerrero 14, Faundo 14, Villanueva 11, Hayes 11, Dedicatoria 8, Cena 8, Jaime 5, Ortiguerra 4. Pharex (98) – Bughao 21, Oreta 19, Alfad 14, Saladaga 11, Villamin 10, Bulawang 8, Co 6, de Guzman 5, Matias 2, Gerilla 2. Quarters: 26-13; 48-43; 77-70; 106-98.
M. Lhuillier (83) – Dacia 20, Basco 12, Llanto 10, Padilla 10, Capati 9, Singson 8, Enriquez 6, Cavan 4, Rodriguez 2, Bat-og 2. Fifth Ave. (78) – Vergara 14, Yee 13, Zagala 12, Salansang 12, Malabanan 9, Lim 6, Moody 5, Go 3, Litonjula 2, Sanders 2. Quarters: 13-21; 39-36; 69-59; 83-78. (RCM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 31, 2008 issue)
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