Ghasias Brothers gains first win

The Ghasias Brothers weathered a third-quarter storm from Hite Beer to pull off a 90-83 win in the lone game completed in the 2014 DLX Invitational Basketball League last Friday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

The Ghasias Brothers squandered its 20-point halftime lead before finishing strong in the last two minutes of the match to barge into the win column after a 0-3 start. Hite Beer absorbed its second loss in four games.

The Ghasias Brothers’ Randy Pelisamen is hemmed in by Hite Beer’s Art Montes during the third quarter of their game in the DLX caging last Friday at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Ben Pelisamen drained four triples in the second period, while Freddie started the quarter with eight straight points before adding two more, as the Ghasias Brothers ended the half with a big 50-30 advantage.

However, the Ghasias Brothers lost the double-digit spread and even fell behind by two in the closing minutes of the third, 56-58, as Hite Beer mounted a comeback at the beginning of the second half. Hite Beer kicked off the recovery with a 16-2 scoring binge to move within six, 46-52. Young guns Kevin De Leon, Chris Mizer, and Tristan Montes led Hite Beer’s rally and the team won another exchange, 12-4 past the halfway mark of the third to grab the upper hand, 58-56. Montes scored six straight points in the second fightback, before Ghasias Brothers closed out the last two minutes of the third with a 6-0 run to regain the driver’s seat, 62-58.

The match was close since then, as Freddie Pelisamen took care of Ghasias Brother’s offense in the fourth, while Hite Beer spread the wealth. Art Montes contributed to Hite Beer’s balance offense, as his back-to-back undergoal stabs allowed his team to reclaim the lead, 73-69, 5:39 left on the clock.

Sensing danger, the Ghasias Brothers sued for time and when the game resumed, Freddie Pelisamen anchored a short 6-0 blast to put his squad on top anew, 75-73. It was a back-and-forth match since then with the game tied for the last time at 77-all, going into the final two minutes of the close tiff. Freddie Pelisamen then broke the tie with an and-1 fastbreak play off a touchdown pass from Gyles Ruluked. The Ghasias Brothers went on to stretch the lead to six off Freddie Pelisamen’s two more field goals and the team’s three free throws, 87-81, but Hite Beer refused to give up with De Leon knocking in a pair of charities in the last 32 seconds of the match to cut the deficit to four, 83-87.

Still ahead, Ghasias Brothers decided to melt the clock in the ensuing play, while Hite Beer opted not to commit a preemptive foul. Hite Beer’s strategy seemed to work, as Ghasias still had the ball with two seconds left on the 24-second shot clock before Ben Pelisamen pulled the trigger from downtown. The ball hit the back iron of the rim and looked to head out, but bounced in, sealing the victory for Ghasias brothers with less than 10 seconds left in the game.

Freddie Pelisamen top-scored for the Ghasias Brothers with his 37 points, while Ben Pelisaman and Gyles Ruluked chipped in 22 and 18, respectively. De Leon led Hite Beer with his 22.

Meanwhile, the second game between Flip Top and Gwap Gang was rained-out in the second canto, while Saturday matches were called off due to rain.

Ghasias Brothers 90 – F. Pelisamen 37, B. Pelisamen 22, Ruluked 18, R. Acosta 4, Pelisamen 2.

Hite Beer 83 – De Leon 22, Mizer 15, Camacho 11, T. Montes 11, Lauron 10, A. Montes 8, Park 4.

Scoring by quarters: 18-16, 50-30, 62-58, 90-83.