THE Suns bagged their first win in the Michelob Ultra Cup 2025 by blazing past Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas, 90-80, at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Tuesday.
The opening quarter saw both teams exchanging buckets in a fairly even battle.
Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas struggled to find the bottom of the net early on but gradually found their groove, using defensive stops to create fast-break opportunities. Steve King and Tony Kim led the charge with 10 and 6 points, respectively.
The Suns’ offense was fueled by sheer hustle, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities with Shane Deleon Guerrero and LJ Reyes leading the frontline to secure a slim 16–15 advantage.
Throughout the second period, Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas were powered by the in-and-out play of Matt Duenas and Kenny Laquian. Duenas attacked the interior, while Laquian shot the lights out from beyond the arc. But the Suns had an answer, with Pete Lizama and Jude Tengco coming off the bench alongside Luizi Reyes to close the half in a 34-34 deadlock.
The break seemed to have rejuvenated both teams as they resumed the back-and-forth action. King and Laquian picked up where they left off, orchestrating their team’s third-quarter offense, but the Suns managed to retain the upper hand thanks to the clutch performances of Frank Mizutani and Don Brennan, who each connected a triple to give their team the lead, 59-55.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, the action intensified as Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas’ Greg Deleon Guerrero and Laquian drew several fouls and used the free throws to chip away at the deficit. However, they failed to stop the Suns’ offensive run as Shane Deleon Guerrero went to work with 13 points while Tengco and Leo Galarse cleaned up the mess with second-chance buckets to maintain control and secure the win, 90-80.
The second game of the night was claimed by Marianas, clinching its third straight win by deflating Baller 2, 96-41.
Scores:
Suns 90 – Shane Deleon Guerrero 26, Leo Galarse 11, Jude Tengco 9, Frank Mizutani 8, Don Brennan 8, LJ Reyes 7, Dave Camacho 6, Pete Lizama 4, Josh Lizama 4, Luizi Reyes 4, Zack Diaz 4
Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas 80 – Steve King 27, Kenny Laquian 20, Tony Kim 8, JR Galang 8, Greg Deleon Guerrero 8, Matt Duenas 7, Jeffrey Yugummang 2
Suns’ Shane Deleon Guerrero goes up for the finish between two defenders during a game against Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas in the Michelob Ultra Cup 2025 at the Ada gym on Tuesday.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
Suns’ Don Brennan pulls up for the contested three-point shot during a game against Eastside Cuts/Elite Kuyas in the Michelob Ultra Cup 2025 at the Ada gym on Tuesday.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
