PIC snaps Mobil’s winning streak

 Defending champion Pacific Islands Club/NVM pulled off a nail-biter against Mobil, 101-100, during the second game in the 3rd Annual Shirley’s Coffee Shop Invitational Basketball League last Sunday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

James Abuy hit the dagger, connecting on a triple from the right corner to give PIC/NVM its fourth win in as many games. The defending champion is now the only unbeaten team in the 10-squad field, as Mobil absorbed its first loss after a 4-0 start.

Mobil had the chance to seal the win in the last 14.2 seconds of the match when Marvin Rabauliman was fouled with his team on top, 99-98. However, he split his charities, giving Mobil a precarious lead, 100-98.

After Rabauliman drilled his second charity, PIC sued for time and recalled Abuy from the bench. When game resumed, Bon Tamayo received the inbound pass and then swung the ball to Abuy, who faked off two Mobil defenders before pulling up for the crucial triple. The 3-pointer was Abuy’s lone basket in the second half and before that, he muffed his first three attempts from downtown in the fourth period.

With PIC now ahead, 101-100, it was Mobil’s turn to call for a timeout in the last 6.8 seconds of the game. The match then resumed with Jorge De Guzman doing the inbound and passing the leather to Rabauliman, who went to dribble toward the left key before pulling up for a short jumper against two PIC defenders. He missed, but Mobil had another attempt when Tony Wenceslao went to the shaded lane and collared the offensive rebound. However, Wenceslao overshot his mark and Mobil and PIC players battled for the rebound as time expired.

Angelo Fernando top-scored for PIC with 21, making nine of them in the fourth period to bring the defending champion back into contention after falling behind, 86-79. He sat out in the first 3:30 of the fourth, giving PIC limited offensive options.

Tamayo chipped in 19, while Abuy added 17. The six other PIC players who made it to the scoreboard contributed at least six points apiece.

Rabauliman led Mobil with 24 markers, while Estolas logged 23, but was limited to only three field goals in the second half, as he was hounded by PIC’s Nevin Salem in the third period and early part of the fourth canto. De Guzman also scored 20 plus points with his 22 markers, but had only one field goal in the final canto.

PSS 99, GPPC 67

In the second game, PSS/McGraw-Hill clobbered GPPC, Inc. to improve to a 2-1 record. GPPC fell to a 1-3 slate.

GPPC, Inc. managed to stay in the game only in the first 20 minutes of play, as the much younger and faster crew of PSS stepped on the gas in the second half en route to a 32-point win.

PSS outgunned GPPC in the third, 30-15, turning a 41-36 halftime edge to a 71-51 lead. James Villacrusis and Kelvin Fitial combined for 15 points in the third-quarter surge, while five other PSS players contributed in the breakaway. GPPC, Inc. collapsed in the third, as only Alex Ocampo scored more than one field goal for the team in that frame.

Dave Sablan paced PSS with his 29 markers, while Fitial and Villacrusis recorded 22 and 16, respectively. Ocampo was the lone double figure scorer for GPPC with his 33 points.

First Game

PSS/McGraw-Hill 99 – Sablan 29, Fitial 22, Villacrusis 16, Cabrera 7, Buniag , Itibus 5, Manibusan 5, Guerrero 3, Palacios 2, Mendez 2, Villagomez 2.

GPPC, Inc. 67 – Ocampo 33, Mungcal 9, Montes 7, Tolentino 6, Sampang 4, Jalandoni 3, Siega 2, Faustino 2, Rivera 1.

Scoring by quarters: 26-14, 41-36, 71-51, 99-77.

Second Game

PIC/NVM 101-Fernando 21, Tamayo 19, Abuy 17, Diaz 9, Johanes 8, Yabut 8, J.R. Mina 7, Salem 6, Rasa 6.

Mobil 100 – Rabauliman 24, Estolas 23, De Guzman 22, Demapan 12, Sharry 6, Gamboa 4, Bautista 2.

Scoring by quarters: 30-26, 53-49, 74-75, 101-100.