HBR Construction players pose for a photo after beating Pho Tam Restaurant to reach the finals of the Alpha Kappa Rho 1st Semi-Open Invitational Basketball League 2025 at the TSL Sports Complex on Friday.
Contributed photo
HBR Construction and Yuman Construction reached the finals of the Alpha Kappa Rho 1st Semi-Open Invitational Basketball League 2025 after overcoming their respective opponents in the playoff games at the TSL Sports Complex on Friday.
HBR trounced Pho Tam Restaurant 92-72 in a game marred by an altercation among the players. One of them, HBR’s Webb Gontar, was seriously injured and had to be transported to a hospital in Guam. (See related story in local news.)
HBR controlled most of the possession, with Jeff Yugummang scoring the first two buckets while teammates Junie Thongaram and Tony Kim contributed with strong finishes at the rim to gain the upper hand.
Pho Tam relied on the speed and reliability of Douglas Schmidt and Dhan Mateo, who shot the lights out from the perimeter and beyond the three-point line. However, with every shot they made, HBR had an answer. Airson Atan heated up with 12 quick points, while Jepoy Tabora and Jose Broncano added a few shots to give HBR a 45-37 lead.
In the second half, Pho Tam started to make a comeback as Schmidt continued to deliver with the help of Kenny Laquian. However, during an inbound play, the interaction turned physical and escalated into a brawl, resulting in HBR’s Webb Gontar suffering a serious injury. As a consequence, five players were thrown out of the game, leaving Pho Tam with only five players at their disposal.
The game continued and with Pho Tam at a disadvantage, HBR managed to pull away with the victory, 92-72, and advance to the finals.
Yuman vs Priority Care
In the other semifinal game, Yuman Construction earned a stunning victory over Priority Care, 82-74.
It was a close game from start to finish, but Yuman maintained the upper hand for most of the game. Toward the end, Priority Care’s Ko Mizutani tried to spark a comeback with back-to-back triples, but Yuman remained steady at the free-throw line, sinking enough shots to secure the victory.
