By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

SAMAHANG Ilokano at Pangasinense claimed the solo lead in the 35-and-under division of the Masters Basketball League after outgunning the PTI Typhoons, 112-100, last Monday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
Ronald Delos Reyes and Rick Alegre combined for about half of SIP’s total production to give their team its fourth win in six games, one win ahead of the PTI Yankees (3-2).
Last Monday’s game against the Typhoons was SIP’s last in the regular season and its standing going into the playoffs will only be decided after tonight’s game, which will feature the Yankees battling the Typhoons (1-4).
Only four teams are playing in the 35-and-up division with the Ol’Aces currently in third place with a 3-3 slate.
All four teams will advance to the playoffs, which will start on Monday and will have a double-elimination format.
Delos Reyes topscored for SIP with 26 points, while Alegre chipped in 25. Two other SIP players scored in double figures with Melvin Villarin adding 19 and Richard Pambid contributing 16.
Villarin nailed seven of his total points in the first quarter to put SIP in the lead, 21-14.
SIP kept the lead at halftime, 46-37, with Alegre and Delos Reyes joining forces. Delos Reyes had two triples in the second quarter and scored eight points, while Alegre fired seven.
The Typhoons tried to recover in the second half with Oscar and George Masga leading them, but SIP found ways to foil the former’s repeated comeback bids with Alegre and Delos Reyes getting support from Villarin and Richard Pambid.
George paced the Typhoons with 30 points, while Oscar added 27.
Meanwhile, the playoffs in the 45-and-up division will start this Friday.
PTI Tropical Storm, which finished the regular season on top of the team standings with a 5-1 record, got a bye in the single-elimination playoffs.
LBT and Proa, which tied the Tropical Storm with a 5-1 slate, but lost on points in the quotient system, play the Old’Aces and the Dino Sores, respectively, at the start of the playoffs.
LBT and the Ol’Aces meet in Game 1 at 7 p.m., while Proa collides with the Dino Sores in Game 2 at 8:30 p.m.
Game 3 next Wednesday will feature Top 45 clashing with NIC at 7 p.m., while Game 4 will have the winner of Game 1 challenging the victor of Game 2.
On March 19, the Storms duel the winner of Game 3, while the championship match will feature the winners of Games 4 and 5 on March 21.
Scores:
SIP 112—Delos Reyes 26, R. Alegre 25, Villarin 19, Pambid 16, Moreno 8, T. Alegre 8.
Typhoons 100—G. Masga 30, O. Masga 27, Pineda 15, Ocampo 14, F. Palacios 10.
Quarterscores: 21-14, 46-37, 72-63, 112-100