By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Behind their scoring machine and team captain Maka Ichiro, the Matadors are on a winning roll again in the 2007 Shell NBL.
Ichiro scored 31 points as the Matadors escaped with an 83-81 victory over PCC Mesekiu on Wednesday night Feb, 7 although it was Tobel who scored the marginal two-pointer out of his 12 of the game to complete the team’s four-game winning run.
A night earlier on Feb. 6, the Matadors went on to post yet another hard earned 68-64 win against the Blue Sharks with Ichiro coming home with 28.
Ichiro also led the Matadors to a 84-82 victory over Mesang on Monday Feb. 5.
Ichiro scored 21, six in the fourth quarter that included one of two crucial free throws in the endgame.
The Matadors also got good games from Arnel and Juvic in that particular game that sparked the team’s another win run.
Arnel had eight in the fourth of his total 134 while Juvic was scoreless in the fourth but scattered a total of 17 in the first three quarters.
Also on Feb. 3, the Matadors won via forfeiture against the Ngiwal 79ers.
The Matadors are now 9-5 in the team standings with one more team to play against Ngiwal Central to complete the elimination round.
The other results Wednesday Feb. 7 showed Mesang winning over the Kinsmen, 76-50; and Peches over On Fire, 114-67.
On Feb. 6, Mesekiu defeated PPR, 89-53; and Airai over Klebokel, 97-79 and on Feb. 5, the Bullets beat the Kinsmen in overtime, 80-78, while the Jaguars demolished Kabong, 80-65.
The current unofficial team standings are Stingers (11-0), Peches (9-3), Matadors (9-5), Airai (9-5), Bullets (8-6), Jaguars (7-4), Mesekiu (7-6), Mesang (7-6), Blue Sharks (7-7), Ngiwal Central (6-6), Ngiwal 79ers (5-5), Klebkel (4-8), On Fire (4-7), PPR (3-10), Kabong (3-10) and Kinsmen (1-12).