Double-digit scorers Rocyl Ritual, Joshua Norita, Roy Hernandez, Leo Itaas, and Dick Tibayan wasted no time claiming the Group C title from five other teams last Wednesday.
Team Cell Pro entered the playoffs on a three win-three loss record during regular season while Fresco went undefeated at six wins. Ritual, Cell Pro’s score leader, tallied 22 points while Norita and Hernandez earned 14 each.
Fresco Saipan headed for trouble in the second quarter after a 17-point run from Dick Tibayan. Other than him however, only Hernandez and Roger Herrera squeezed in two points apiece late in the first half.
Cellular Pro flawlessly dominated from start to finish, scoring basket after basket in the third quarter. Team Fresco – suffering on turnovers – couldn’t get the spark they needed to erase their 10-point deficit.
Fresco’s overall leader Edwin Camacho waited in the sidelines and hoped for a clean steal, but found no opening. Jerry Mabini, who scored 19 points, added five more in the final quarter. Camacho posted 16 in the second half for a game high 28 points.
Ritual hammered five two-pointers in a row while Itaas capped off on a jump shot-free throw combo with five minutes left on the clock.
Team Cellular Pro is now on standby as the Group C champion. In a third game on Wednesday, MBI defeated Inchcape, 72-60 to claim the Group A title.
Scores:
Cellular Pro 83 – R. Ritual 22, J. Norita 14, R. Hernandez 14, D. Tibayan 19, L. Itaas 10, R. Herrera 4
Fresco Saipan 71 – E. Camacho 28, J. Mabini 19, C. Zhe 7, R. Rivera 6, J. Concepcion 5, A. Hernaez 4, J. Wodson 2
Quarterscores: 21-16, 42-34, 64-54, 83-71
Sherwin Williams 59, NVM 56
While the league’s Group B has yet to determine a top team, Sherwin Williams eliminated NVM, 59-56.
Sherwin Williams’ Jun Tabora led the scores with 21 points while teammates Dado Vistal and Ferdie Tobias scored 15 and 13, respectively.
Team Sherwin Williams dominated the first quarter, 19-6, allowing NVM to land only three baskets – a three-pointer from Jun Ortiz, one free throw from Roland Tengco, and a layup from Ian Benavente.
Vistal fired back with a three-pointer minutes after Ortiz’s shot and Tabora piled eight points to bury NVM early in the game.
Sherwin Williams, ending the regular season undefeated at six wins, headed to the second half at 29-18. Tabora led the main offensive, performing similar plays from the first half and scoring nine points.
Ortiz blasted back-to-back jumpers and Jessie Mina secured a pair of 3’s to place NVM six points behind in the third quarter. While they crawled ahead, team Sherwin Williams focused on the defense hoping to stall time. It eventually worked, with Tabora landing a free throw to avoid a possible overtime.
Sherwin Williams is scheduled to play today against Joeten Superstore at 7 p.m. The winner will join Cellular Pro and MBI in next week’s championship series. The first to gain two wins among these three teams will advance to the finals.
Scores:
Sherwin Williams 59 – J. Tabora 21, D. Vistal 15, F. Tobias 13, J. Garon 5, V. Mallari 2, D. Dayrit 2
NVM 56 – S. Meltran 14, Jessie Mina 13, JR Mina 8, J. Ortiz 7, I. Benavente 4, R. Tengco 3, Z. Johanes 3, A. Montes 2, R. Catilla 2
Quarterscores: 19-6, 29-18, 44-38, 59-56
