CK Saint’s Mel Manibusan gets into contact as he goes up for the finish against Save More’s Pete Lizama during the opening game of the Michelob Ultra Cup 2023 Tuesday at the Ada gym.
Save More’s Nap Solis takes the three-point shot during the opening game of the Michelob Ultra Cup 2023 Tuesday at the Ada gym.
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SAVE More and New Chang Ming on Tuesday defeated their respective opponents in the opening games of the Michelob Ultra Cup 2023, the first basketball league to be held at the newly renovated Ada gym.
Save More was the first team to bag a win by trouncing the CK Saints, 82-65.
In the opening quarter, however, thanks to the balanced contributions of Kelvin Fitial and Luizi Reyes, the CK Saints’ hustle and pressure defense outshined Save More.
Led by Joseph Torres and Gelo Genese, Save More tried to stay on their toes but missed several shots, which handed the CK Saints more scoring opportunities as Leo Galarse and Lushawen Reyes “Rock” finished strong with an and-one play each to give their team the lead, 24-16.
The CK Saints continued to ride the momentum in the second canto as they used the extra firepower coming off the bench. Jason Bahillo and Jeffery Yucummang kept the flames burning with two consecutive buckets each while Luizi Reyes and Eli Aughenbaugh capitalized off second chance buckets to maintain the lead, 41-32.
The halftime break seemed to be what Save More needed to reassess their strategy. In the third period, they suddenly closed the gap.
The exchange started to become more physical even as Save More’s Mi’i Tekiupua scored eight points to further reduce the deficit, 49-53.
The CK Saints failed to get out of the gutter in the final quarter. Galarse and Fitial managed to penetrate and find the bottom of the net but it wasn’t enough as Save More’s Torres and Tekiupua went on a 19-point scoring spree to snatch the lead and beat the CK Saints, 82-65.
New Chang Ming vs Team Marianas
New Chang Ming had to cook up a second half rally to defeat Team Marianas, 79-70.
Team Marianas used speed, great ball movement and relentless defensive pressure throughout the first half to establish control. Coby Santos led the assault from within the perimeter while Lucio Aldan extended the range with two triples in the first half. In the second half, team mates Ervin Villarin and Matthew Richardson delivered six and five points to give Team Marianas a double-digit lead, 45-29.
Team Marianas, however, failed to stay consistent in the second half as New Chang Ming used their height and chemistry to take over the lead.
Led by Shane Deleon Guerrero, Gerald Flores and Gino Asauo, New Chang Ming connected back-to-back buckets to grasp the upper hand for the first time, 58-54.
Team Marianas’ tried to regain the lead with Santos and Richardson on the frontline, but they failed to stop New Chang Ming’s Asauo and Rodel Pastrana who matched up offensively en route to victory, 79-70.
