HBR Construction’s Jeff Victoria, right, the Best Player of the Game, receives a pack of butane gas sponsored by Best Deal from League Commissioner Bernie Ebuen at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Sunday.
Contributed photo
HBR Construction trounced The Game, 85-69, for their second consecutive win in the open division of the 17th IT&E-United Filipino Organization Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Sunday.
At first, both teams seemed evenly matched, trading leads throughout the first half.
The Game thrived on isolation plays, with Joe Sablan and Wesley Walker acting as spark plugs as they found their rhythm — each sinking a three-pointer and midrange shots to combine for 10 points. They were just as threatening inside the paint, where John Libut joined the highlight reel with six straight points — including an and-one — while James Kintz helped keep the momentum flowing.
On the other end, HBR’s Frankie Satur took control early, scoring 10 points in the first 10 minutes. Jeffrey Victoria added firepower from beyond the arc, pouring in 13 straight points — including three triples — to give HBR a slight edge. With support from JR Galang and JP Tabora, the team was able to build a comfortable lead heading into halftime, 44-39.
In the second half, HBR’s pressure defense proved pivotal, fueling their offensive run as they gradually took control of the tempo. A series of forced turnovers led to fastbreak finishes by Jumaquio, Victoria, and Galang, stretching the lead into double digits.
Although HBR’s lead kept growing, The Game had no intention of going down without a fight. But with only Walker able to find the bottom of the net, they couldn’t close the gap and ultimately fell to HBR, 85-69.
Priority Care also showed its dominance, outplaying Best Deal in a convincing 79-59 win.
