Lamesa Kusina’s Billy Natividad pulls up for the perimeter jump shot during a playoff game against Elite Force in season 2 of the Legends Sports Association Invitational Basketball League at the TSL Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Lamesa Kusina’s Paul Flores takes the floater during a playoff game against Elite Force in season 2 of the Legends Sports Association Invitational Basketball League at the TSL Sports Complex on Tuesday.
LAMESA Kusina and Savemore are the first teams in their brackets to reach the quarterfinals of the Legends Sports Association Invitational Basketball League as they came out victorious over their respective adversaries at the TSL Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Lamesa Kusina advanced to the final four of Bracket B after outlasting Elite Force, 76-69.
Lamesa Kusina started off with guns blazing led by Paul Flores who scored a triple followed by a series of buckets courtesy of Web Gontar for an 11-0 lead that forced the Elite Force to call a timeout.
After the quick break, Elite Force’s Manuel Gatbonton delivered 10 points while teammates Don Fernando and Mark Aycardo sank two three-pointers to get back in the game.
However, they continued to trail as Lamesa Kusina regained momentum with Francisco Gutierrez finishing strong with six points for a 37-31 lead by halftime.
The back-and-forth battle continued throughout the second half.
The Elite Force never lost hope as they moved the ball around to create shot opportunities. Gatbonton remained their biggest threat, scoring nine points while Fernando kept the fuel burning with a couple of three-pointers.
Lamesa Kusina answered with better defense and teamwork. Gontar maintained his efficiency within the perimeter while Leo Apelo and Raymond Velasco stepped up late in the game to seal the deal, 76-69, and eliminate the Elite Force from contention.
Savemore vs Unity Trade
Also securing a spot in the quarterfinals was Savemore with a redemption win in Bracket A over Unity Trade, 65-48.
Savemore used screens to create space for a handful of uncontested shots — including two triples from Mark Malinay — to lead by as much as nine points in the first six minutes of the game.
Unity Trade managed to recover thanks to Bryan Rejano who ignited the team’s momentum with back-to-back triples. However, they continued to struggle on the offensive end as they lacked the height needed to penetrate and had to force their shots. Every failed attempt only favored Savemore’s players who dominated the boards and used their size advantage to grab the offensive rebounds and turn them into a second chance buckets to retain a comfortable distance, 36-29.
Although Unity Trade cut the deficit to seven points early in the second half, Savemore played smart by slowing down the pace en route to securing the win with ease, 65-48.
Scores
Lamesa Kusina 76 – Web Gontar 17, Raymond Velasco 12, Leo Apelo 10, Paul Flores 8, Jun Hernandez 5, Billy Natividad 4, Ricky Taraya 4, Franklin Bongolan 3, Jonathan Broncano 1
Elite Force 69 – Manuel Gatbonton 21, Don Fernando 15, Jerome Reyes 8, Vladimir Ceniza 6, Gerard Doque 6, Andrew Sy 4, Mark Aycardo 3, Renzo Delos Reyes 3, John Hernandez 2
