By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

AQUA Resort Club ended its campaign in the regular season of the 2006-2007 Inter-Hotel Basketball League/HANMI Cup with a perfect record, while Pacific Islands Club also finished with a bang after they posted separate wins last Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
ARC pounded World Resort, 115-71, in the second game, while PIC downed Marianas Resort, 85-66, in the opening match.
Aqua swept all its eight games in the regular season and will enter the playoffs holding the No. 1 spot. PIC finished with a 6-2 record and tied Hyatt for the No. 2 berth. Pending the results of Fiesta Resort’s (5-2) game against Marianas Resort & Spa tomorrow, the final standings of the three teams have yet to be determined. In case of a three-way tie, a quotient system will take effect to break the deadlock.
Despite securing a playoffs ticket as early as two weeks ago, Aqua still played like it needed a crucial victory pouring it on starting in the second quarter en route to a 44-point win.
Aqua led by only six at the end of the first quarter, 20-14, and increased the lead to 14 at halftime, 47-33, as Rodel Alcantara, Eric Dalangin and Cesar Ambrocio combined for 19 of their 27 points in the second period.
Darwin Barbo, who had four points in the first half, took over in the second half drilling 23 points.
He had eight markers in the third, while Dalangin added seven more in that canto to give Aqua a 70-50 advantage, entering the payoff period.
World Resort, which played with only six players, finally threw in the towel in the fourth quarter, as Bill Tagabuel could not carry the load alone for the Susupe-based squad. He was the lone World Resort player to score more than two fieldgoals in the fourth quarter.
Barbo continued his explosive second-half firing 15 points in the fourth period. He finished with 27 points, while Dalangin added 21. Three more Aqua players scored in double figures with Dalewin Cortez chipping in 19 and Alcantara and Ambrocio contributing 14 and 11 markers, respectively.
James Mariano scored 21 points for World Resort, which finished the regular season winless in eight games.
In the first game, John Raymund Ngeskebei nailed 32 points to power PIC to a 19-point triumph.
PIC controlled the game from start to finish with Ngekebei teaming up with Alfred Fernandez and James Abuy in leading the San Antonio-based team’s offense.
Scores:
First Game
PIC 85—Ngeskebei 32, Fernandez 20, Abuy 18, Tolentino 5, Catacutan 4, Apasan 4, Bartolo 2.
Marianas Resort 66—Gatdula 21, Usi 13, Ocanada 12, Sebastian 9, Meimban 7, Geva 4.
Quarterscores: 21-16, 46-28, 65-46, 85-66.
Second Game
ARC 115—Barbo 27, Dalangin 21, Cortez 19, Alcantara 14, Ambrosio 11, Villamayor 8, Domingo 8, Johannes 5, Arellano 4.
World Resort 71—Mariano 21, Navarro 13, Tagabuel 12, Murday 10, Sagucio 9, Gayo 6.
Quartersscores 20-14 47-33, 70-50, 115-71.
and Jess Pacheco.