Sunday, June 15, 2008 USJ-R wins fight-marred Game 1
THE University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars drew first blood in the fight-marred 84-78 win over the Southwestern University Cobras in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series of the 1st M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Summer Basketball Challenge at the Cebu Coliseum Friday evening.
Six players—three from each camp—were thrown out of the game for their involvement in the melee that was quickly controlled by the officials.
SWU’s Alfred Belande, Elvid Poligrates and Joseph Escober were banished from the floor along with Manny Gabas, Randy Pogoy and Abulaiz Suliman of USJ-R at the 2:29 mark of the third quarter.
Belande and Suliman were ejected when they traded punches underneath the goal of the Jaguars, while the rest were thrown out for entering the court.
USJ-R benefited from the ejection as Belande, Poligrates and Escober played a crucial role on SWU coach Dodie Miego’s rotation. Belande and Poligrates started the game, while Escober was a vital part of the rotation.
In addition SWU played without its leading scorer Eric Zanoria who was sidelined because of a fever.
On the USJ-R side, the loss of Gabas, Suliman and Pogoy barely dented the team as as Gabas’ has to fight for his minutes with the other USJ-R bigmen, while Suliman and Pogoy did not have much contribution.
Pogoy has not seen action before his ejection, while Suliman played sparingly.
SWU started the game hot, scoring the first 12 points, while holding the Jaguars scoreless for the first five minutes.
However, USJ-R rallied with a 15-2 blitz to take over the lead and both teams fought six lead changes and a deadlock before the Jaguars controlled the tempo of the game after pulling another 14-3 blitz late in the second quarter.
USJ-R erected its biggest lead of the night, 57-43, on a 15-5 run when the melee happened.
However, it served as a wake up call for the Jaguars and center Clefford Maguate carried the team on his shoulder for the comeback.
After scoring just four points in the first quarter because of foul trouble, Maguate scored 16 in the second half to pose a threat on the Jaguars.
Lyndon Gudez, Kurt Amores and Arman Ponce who had his first high scoring game in the tournament had an answer to every SWU points to preserve the lead.
Meanwhile, the University of San Carlos Warriors took the third place trophy after beating Asian College of Technology Cyber Knights 81-78. (RCM)
