Caleb, Ezekiel win last regular season games

Caleb and Ezekiel closed out the regular season of the 4th Genesis Cup Christian Churches Inter-Color Basketball League by winning their respective matches last Monday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Ezekiel’s Noel Conti, center, tries to keep the ball away from Gideon’s Raul Gonzales, right, and Joel Buniag during the first half of their game in the 4th Genesis Cup last Monday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Caleb dominated Joshua in the regular season’s penultimate game, 84-73, while Ezekiel outclassed Gideon in the last tiff, 73-66, to gain some confidence heading into the playoff round.

The playoffs will start this Friday with the fourth-ranked Ezekiel, which finished with a 3-4 record, having an early rematch against the fifth-seeded Gideon (3-4) as they collide at 6:30pm. In the second playoff game at 8pm, No. 1 finisher Daniel (7-0) will take on the winless (0-7) and cellar dweller Samuel. The other playoff pairings are third-ranked Isaiah (5-2) versus the sixth-seeded Jeremiah (2-5) and second placer Caleb (6-1) against the seventh-ranked Joshua (2-5) and they will play on Monday. The playoff round has a single-elimination format.

Caleb secured the No. 2 seeding in the playoffs and gained its sixth win after drawing another solid game from Michael Cabanas and Nathan Borromeo, who combined for more than half of the team’s total production. Cabanas had a game-high 28 points, while Borromeo chipped in 20.

The 1-2 scoring punch broke into double figures early in the first half with Cabanas recording 16 and Borromeo contributing 10 as they lifted Caleb to a 44-34 halftime lead.

At the resumption of the match, Joshua failed to neutralize Cabanas and Borromeo, who totaled for 22 more points to keep Caleb’s double-digit winning margin.

Joshua couldn’t muster a counter attack against Caleb, as it lacked enough manpower with only six players available for the match and only five made it to the board against the nine of the winning squad. Donnel Isip paced Joshua with his 26 points.

In the second game, Ezekiel built a good lead in the first half and withstood Gideon’s repeated comeback bids in the second en route to the 7-point win.

Ezekiel led by as much as 13 in the first half, 40-27, as it spread the wealth in the opening frame, and retained the twin-digit advantage at the break, 43-33. Four Ezekiel players canned at least three field goals apiece in their balance scoring in the first half with Mike Surima registering 11, Vhoie Francia adding 10, and Noel Conti and Aaron Irog chipping in 8 and 6, respectively.

Surima and company slowed down a bit in the second half, but still knocked in timely baskets to foil Gideon’s rallies. Francia top-scored for Ezekiel with his 19 points, while Surima and Irog combined for 29. Bradley Demapan had 17 markers for Gideon.

First Game
Caleb 84 – Cabanas 28, Borromeo 20, Huddleston 13, Castro 7, Bacani 6, Sacdalan 4, Gozon 2, Gatdula 2, Ocanada 2.

Joshua 73 – Isip 25, Abe 16, Calub 13, Dequito 10, Gonzales 9.

Scoring by halves: 44-34, 84-73.

Second Game
Ezekiel 73 – Francia 19, Surima 17, Irog 12, Perez 9, Conti 8, Alcantara 4, Velasquez 2, Rebong 2.

Gideon 66 – Demapan 17, Buniag 14, David 10, Borja 8, Santos 8, Omampo 8.

Scoring by halves: 43-33, 73-66.