Back-to-back wins for Star Water

Star Water’s Edwin Santos, left, tries to keep the ball away from Coca-Cola/Subway’s Edward Armia during an earlier game in the JEM/Mobil caging at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Star Water pulled off a come-from-behind 77-67 victory against Mobil/COAG in the second game in the JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League last Wednesday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

A second-half surge allowed Star Water to overhaul an 18-point halftime deficit and gain its second straight win after a 0-3 start in the Pool B division of the 16-team league. Star Water took its first win last Monday after slipping past Westco, 63-61.

Against Mobil/COAG, Star Water fell behind, 22-40, after the first half but a 32-point explosion by the latter in the third period wiped out the former’s double-digit advantage. Melvin Gallardo rallied Star Water back in the pivotal third after firing 14 points. He drew ample support from Rommel Dizon and Jun Itaas, who combined for 14 markers in the penultimate frame to put Star Water on top, 54-50.

Star Water never relinquished the driver’s seat from thereon, as Gallardo continued to hit his target, adding 10 more points in the final canto. He finished with 26 points, nearly doubling his output (14) in their 2-point victory against Westco last Monday.

Versus Westco, Dizon was the top scorer for Star Water with his 21 markers, including the squad’s last 4 points.

With Star Water notching back-to-back wins, it moved to fifth spot in the team standings, bumping off D&Q/CTSI (2-4), while Mobil/COAG remained in seventh place with its 1-5 slate.

In other results, GPPC finished its assignment in Pool A on a high note after downing Triple J, 76-69, while the latter ended up winless in the preliminary round after losing to McDonald’s last Wednesday.

McDonald’s 93-75 rout of Triple J gave the fastfood chain a 3-4 card in the pool.

McDonald’s set up the easy win after scoring 20-plus points in each quarter. Michael Achas torched Triple J after sizzling for 41 points, 12 of them came from the 3-point area.

In the GPPC-Triple J tiff, the former recovered from a slow start and took control of the match in the third period for the 10-point win. GPPC was behind at the end of the first period, 11-17, and then forced a standoff in the second, 30-all, before establishing a twin-digit spread after the third, 54-43. Triple J tried to reclaim the upper hand, but failed as Alex Ocampo regained his shooting touch in the fourth, scoring 12 points to finish off their foe.

Star Water 77 – Gallardo 26, Dizon 15, Itaas 7, Santos 7, Ombac 6, Gille 4, Quiban 4, Brel 4, Rojas 2, Cabiles 2.

Mobil/COAG 67 – Almario 28, Agustin 14, Cisnero 13, Pelisamen 8, Pascual 2, Aguilar 2.

Scoring by quarters: 15-21, 22-40, 54-50, 77-67.