DEFENDING St. Peter Faber Cup champion Alumni 2001 opened its campaign via loss by forfeiture against Batch 2000 on Friday’s scheduled matches of the Xavier University High School Alumni Basketball Association (XUHS-ABA) Season 9 at XUHS Pueblo covered courts in Cagayan de Oro.
Not only posting their first defeat, the 001ers were slapped with a P1,000 fine as stipulated in the league’s by-laws.
There were few players from 2001 around but did not reach the required numbers needed to play in court one when the 10-minute defaulting time expired.
The 001ers claimed their first title after denying Gamba 97 of its own quest for a first ever title finish in last season’s best-of-three final.
“Proceeds from fines and penalties will be sent to charities or league maintenance,” said ABA commissioner Dhon Lazo.
In court two, XUHS 2002 Horsemen outclassed IAM 98, 65-56.
Richard Chavez fired 18 points for the Horsemen, while Francis Oliver Angeles and John Felisilda chipped in 12 points each.
The Horsemen started hot in the first quarter with a 20-7 run and maintained a double-digit lead at the close of the half, 34-23.
But, IAM 98 threatened in the third quarter to close the gap.
The troika of Jacob “Coico” Villono, Melber Alinas and Lourd Ampo rained 3-point baskets to cut the Horsemen’s lead to only one at 39-40.
But Chavez presided over the Horsemen’s final breakthrough to douse the 99ers’ comeback bid in the final fourth quarter.
Abelou Sanchez and Alinas gave 11 and 10 points, respectively, for IAM 98’s losing cause, while Reagan “XUHS Sakuragi” Abbu and Ampo doled out 8 points apiece.
(The scores:)
XUHS 2002 (65)--Chavez 18, Angeles 12, Felisilda 12, Nunez 7, Cabase 3, Pacuribot 3, Casino 2, Taal 2, Arqueno 1, Mercado 1, Betita 0, Baguio 0, Suggang 0, Carpio 0, Rivera 0, Mabulay 0
XUHS 98 (56)—Sanchez 11, Alinas 10, Abbu 8, Ampo 8, Villono 6, Salvana 6, Palen 4, Jopson 3, Lopez 0, Yacapin 0, Ocampo 0, Lapiz 0, Onico 0.