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Fiesta arranges finals date with PIC
Fiesta Resort & Spa waltzed to a 91-71 triumph over Joeten Enterprises in their knockout semifinals showdown in the 2015 Inter-Commercial Business Basketball League last Thursday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Fiesta Resort & Spa’s Marlon De Dios, 31, and Jared Matsutaro, center, try to prevent a Joeten player from getting close to the paint in their knockout game in the 2015 Inter-Commercial Business Basketball League last week at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Jon Perez)
Lerio Pagarao and Elmer Esdrelon combined for half of Fiesta’s total output as the No. 2 seeds thwarted Joeten’s upset bid to earn another shot of facing PIC this season. Pagarao and Esdrelon tallied 47 points for the game.
The PIC-Fiesta match is set at 6:30pm Tuesday, May 19.
PIC is aiming to win a second straight basketball crown after clinching last year’s title in the Inter-Hotel league.
Fiesta has yet to win against PIC after losing their first two meetings this season, the last an 77-89 beating in the playoff round.
Esdrelon scored 14 points in the first half to help Fiesta enjoy a 52-36 spread entering the third quarter.
Pagarao, held to 4 points in the opening period, poured in 16 markers in the second half to finish what Esdrelon had started as Fiesta pulled away and kept Joeten at bay.
Pagarao ended up with 26 points, while Esdrelon backed him up with 21. Matt Duenas and Jared Matsutaro came up with 16 markers each.
Joeten, which needed a 79-74 comeback win over Public School System in another knockout match last week, was only down by 7, 23-16, after the first 10 minutes of play.
They, however, failed to keep up with Fiesta’s fast-paced offense, led by Esdrelon and the cat-quick Matsutaro, in the second period.
Alex Lauron led Joeten’s losing cause with 14 markers, while Dixon Kwon, the hero in their win against PSS, was limited to 13 points. Rocyl Ritual and Jun Sambile also scored 13 each while Steve Rasa made 12 more.
Fiesta 91 – Pagarao 26, Esdrelon 21, Duenas 16, Matsutaro 16, Nonato 6, Lansang 4, Pablo 2.
Joeten 71 – Lauron 14, Kwon 13, Ritual 13, Sambile 13, Rasa 12, Borja 2, Sablan 2, Tobias 2.
Scoring by quarters: 23-16, 52-36, 66-56, 91-71.
