San Antonio rules MDX inter-village league

San Antonio/Gene’s Barber won back-to-back games yesterday to claim the championship in the 2011 MDX Amateur Radio Club Inter-Village Friendship League.

The Danny Bicera-coached San Antonio first eliminated the San Vicente Saints in the semifinal match yesterday morning at the Civic Center Basketball Court in Susupe, 80-61, and then returned to the hard court with an 87-72 triumph in the one-game finals against As Lito Chow Queen.

A consistent and balance offense lifted San Antonio to the championship, as it had four players breaking into double figures both in the semis and in the finals and the team was the only squad to score at least 80 points in both matches.

Jack Aranda paced San Antonio in the finals with his 18 points, while Nevin Salem added 17, and Adrian Palacios and Jaymark De Guzman chipped in 16 and 11, respectively.

Aranda drilled 11 of his total points in the fourth-quarter breakaway. San Antonio was ahead by only eight after the third period, 60-52, when Aranda scored six of the team’s first seven points in the fourth canto and later nailed a triple to slowly put the game away from As Lito’s hands. Brothers Nevin and Nico Salem, Bryle Alegre, Pedro Castro, and Jed Villanueva also contributed in the fourth period.

San Antonio led at the end of each quarter, as it managed to hit its shots both from inside and outside. San Antonio made five triples against the four of As Lito, which drilled three of its trey late in the fourth then the game was already decided.

As Lito advanced to the finals after topping Chalan Kanoa Fong’s in the first semis game yesterday morning, 79-68, before falling short against San Antonio in the all-important match in the afternoon.

Only Sheen Metran had enough gas left to battle San Antonio in the finals, as the As Lito center scored a game-high 28 points. Juluis Tabamo was the only other double-figure scorer for As Lito with 11, but was held to two free throws in the fourth when San Antonio pulled away.

James Wabinga, who had 14 points in their semis win, came in midway in the second quarter of the title game and was limited to four points. Rainier Deleon Guerrero, who chipped in seven in the semis, missed the finals.

Meanwhile, in the battle for this place, Chalan Kanoa/Fong’s Bakery defeated the San Vicente Saints, 69-66.

Chalan Kanoa held the Saints to 11 points in the fourth quarter to turn a 49-55 deficit to a three-point win. Jun Tabora and Ezra Caro had 12 of Chalan Kanoa’s 20 points in the payoff period. Caro top-scored for the team with 24, while Tabora added 15.
[B] Third Place Game

Chalan Kanoa/Fong’s Bakery 69[/B] – Caro 24, Tabora 15, Bernardo 8, Mina 6, Santos 8, Lerio 4.

[B]San Vicente Saints 66[/B] – L.J. Reyes 22, Iglecias 10, Namelo 8, Lizama 7, Eubanks 6, Basa 5, Brennan 4, Cruz 2, Lu. Reyes 2.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 19-17, 36-33, 49-55, 69-66.

[B]Championship Game

San Antonio/Gene’s Barber 87[/B] – Aranda 18, Ne. Salem 17, Palacios 16, De Guzman 11, Ni. Salem 9, Alegre 5, Castro 7, Villanueva 2, Manalo 2.

[B]As Lito/Chow Queen 72[/B] – Metran 28, Tabamo 11, Babauta 8, Lansang 7, Sevilla 6, Capalad 4, Wabinga 4, Sarmiento 2.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 18-16, 40-33, 60-52, 87-72.