Best Deal/RNV snaps skid, tops CUC

Best Deal/RNV Construction’s Ryan Odicta, third right, is fouled by CUC’s Robert Lieto during the fourth quarter of their game in the JEM/Mobil caging last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Best Deal/RNV Construction finally made it into the win column of the 2017 JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League after outclassing Commonwealth Utilities. Corp., 74-71, last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Best Deal/RNV ended its three-game losing skid and handed CUC its first defeat in three matches.

CUC seemed poised to keep its perfect record when it took a 67-60 advantage midway in the fourth quarter before collapsing in the homestretch after missing a lot of free throws, while Best Deal/RNV closed out strong to gain its first win.

An 8-0 run capped by Ronald Rueda’s pair of charities put Best Deal/RNV on top, 68-67, with 2:35 left on the clock. Ariel Baul and Ryan Odicta chipped in 3 points each in that spurt and Best Deal/RNV went on to stretch its lead to 3, 72-69, after two more free throws from Andy Mortos and Rueda’s fastbreak play, with under two minutes left on the clock.

CUC could have trimmed the deficit down or even regain the lead had it not been for its free throw woes in that stretch. Eugene Manglona went only 2-for-8 from the stripe with his last split cutting the lead to 3, 1:20 remaining on the clock.

Manglona then made it a 1-point game, 71-72, when Odicta muffed two charities off CUC’s unsportsmanlike foul and the former stole the inbound pass intended for Rueda for an uncontested layup.

Still behind and with the clock now down to 24.5 seconds, CUC opted to give up a foul and the gamble backfired as Baul calmly hit the crucial charities to bring Best Deal/RNV’s lead back to 3, 15.3 ticks left in the game. CUC then called its last timeout and went for a quick 2-pointer with Travis Spaeth driving inside and nearly making an and-1 play as the ball rattled off the rim.

Spaeth also faltered on his pair of free throws and CUC bungled another chance to move closer when Manglona’s jumper fell short. CUC got another offensive rebound, but John Santos’ pass to Jester Kaipat underneath was too strong. Kaipat tried to save the ball from going to the baseline, but his heave too was wide with the ball going out of the sideline as time expired, giving Best Deal/RNV its first victory.

Meanwhile, in the first game, Michael Cabanas towed Coca-Cola Subway to a 74-39 demolition of Westco.

Cabanas nearly outgunned the entire Westco crew as he exploded for 34 points. He got off to a hot start, scoring 16 points—14 of them in consecutive fashion and 12 were from downtown—to give Coca-Cola/Subway a 22-11 advantage.

Coca-Cola/Subway never relinquished the double-digit lead from thereon, as Westco simply could not contain Cabanas. Coca-Cola/Subway improved its record to 2-1 to share the Pool B lead with Westco.

First Game
Coca-Cola/Subway 74 — Cabanas 34, Francisco 11, Felix 9, Ogasawara 8, Armia 7, Fejeran 5.

Westco 39 — Rejano 14, Tolentino 13, Cortez 6, Landicho 4, Illahi 3.

Scoring by quarters: 22-11, 38-19, 52-28, 74-39.

Second Game
Best Deal/RNV 74 — R. Rueda 22, Mortos 18, Baul 16, Odicta 11, Tanacras 4, Corong 3.

CUC 71 — Manglona 26, Santos 15, Kaipat 12, Simada 7, Pestillos 6, Poquiz 3, Lieto 1.

Scoring by quarters: 14-16, 38-32, 54-51, 74-71.