By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

TOURNAMENT favorite Aqua Resort Club kept its perfect record following an easy 112-72 victory over Saipan Grand Hotel in the 2006-2007 Inter-Hotel Basketball League/HANMI Cup last Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
The win was Aqua’s third in as many games, while Saipan Grand absorbed its first loss in three matches.
Aqua’s frontliners were unstoppable, dominating the much smaller players of SGH.
Ric Dalangin and Darwin scored 24 points apiece and grabbed eight and six rebounds, respectively. Aqua center Dalewin Cortez had a double-double with 15 markers and 11 boards.
Another Aqua big man CJ Ambrocio, who notched seven rebounds, also scored in double figures with 11 points.
Jomar Rabo was the fifth Aqua player to score in double figures with 14 points, as he had his moments in the match in the second half, drilling 12 points in that period, including two triples.
Aqua outrebounded Saipan Grand, 54-40 and played better as a team posting 22 assists. SGH only had seven assists.
The Achugao-based squad controlled the game from start to finish with Dalangin and Cortez doing the early damage in the first quarter.
Dalangin and Cortez had seven markers apiece, while Chris Domingo added six in the first quarter, which ended with Aqua posting an early double-digit lead, 26-16.
Dalangin and Cortez slowed down a bit in the second, but other Aqua players stepped up to keep the driver’s seat at halftime, 49-32.
Aqua broke the game wide open in the third quarter with the trio of Barbo, Dalangin and Cortez leading the way.
Barbo, who was held to four points in the first half, nailed eight. Dalangin also had eight points, while Cortez chipped in six to give Aqua a comfortable, 78-50 lead, entering the payoff period.
Saipan Grand never recovered from thereon, as Barbo continued hitting his shots adding 12 more points in the fourth quarter.
In the first game, Pacific Islands Club improved to a 2-2 record after clobbering Hotel Nikko, 100-80.
PIC also leaned on its balanced offense to return to its winning form.
The San Antonio-based team had five players scoring in double figures with James Abuy topping the list with 24 points.
Raymond Tolentino had 20 markers, Richard Pambid nailed 17, Rommel Bartolo added 16 and Alfred Fernandez had 14.
PIC survived Pambid and Tolentino’s early disqualification due to five fouls in the fourth quarter, as Bartolo stepped up in the crucial fourth period.
Nikko, which was down as many as 18 points in the first half, worked its way back into the game behind Ronald Delos Reyes.
Entering the fourth period, Nikko was down by only 11, 63-74. But the San Roque-based team failed to complete its comeback bid, as Bartolo came to PIC’s rescue nailing 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Scores:
First Game:
PIC 100—Abuy 24, Tolentino 20, Pambid 17, Bartolo 16, Fernandez 14, Ngeskebei 3, Catacutan 2, Patricio 2, Apasan 2.
Nikko 80—Delos Reyes 30, Fernandez 11, Elayda 10, Salazar 9, Silil 8, Pineda 4. Manalo 4, De Vera 2, Isip 2.
Quarterscores: 22-20, 50-37, 74-63, 100-80.
Second Game
Aqua 112— Dalangin 24, Barbo 24, Cortez 15, Rabo 14, Ambrosio 11, Alcantara 7, Domingo 6, Bojocan 6.
SGH 72—Opone 18, Seman 17, Dela Torre 10, Pablo 6, Bautista 4, Rabago 4, Ada 4, Licop 3, Maliwanag 2.
Quarterscores: 26-16, 49-32, 78-50, 112-72.