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670 Sonics XVI, Natibu Warriors win
The NMI Rollers’ Kenji Abobo tries to dribble past Mt. Carmel School’s Matthew Richardson during an earlier game in the boys U18 division of the Diaz youth caging at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
The 670 Sonics XVI and Natibu Warriors posted contrasting victories in the boys U18 division of the 2017 Francisco M. Diaz Memorial Youth League last Monday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Natibu earned a double-digit winning margin against the Ol’Aces Extreme in the first game, 54-41, while the 670 Sonics XVI defeated the Ol’Aces Elite in the second match, 45-37.
Sean Paul Rafols and Parsley Linaogo teamed up in lifting the 670 Sonics XVI to the 8-point victory after scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively. They also drew enough support from their teammates, as five other 670 Sonics XVI players tallied at least 4 points each.
In contrast, the Ol’Aces Elite relied heavily on E.J. Abejo, who had a game-high 17 points. No other Ol’Aces Elite player made more than two field goals in their game against the 670 Sonics XVI.
In the first game, the Natibu Warriors pulled away in the second quarter, taking advantage of the Ol’Aces Extreme’s lack of manpower to get the easy win. The Ol’Aces Extreme had only five players available for the match.
Despite its shorthanded lineup, the Ol’Aces Extreme managed to tie the game at the end of the first quarter, 13-all, before Natibu buckled down to work and gained control of the duel. Rahwoo Sulap scored 11 points in the pivotal second canto, outgunning the entire Ol’Aces Extreme crew and turning a deadlock to a 34-22 halftime lead.
Henry Aguon took over from Sulap in the second half to keep Natibu’s advantage, as the former recorded 10 of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes of play. Sulap, however, still top-scored for Natibu with his 17 markers, while Rico Villagomez had 10 points on a losing effort for the Ol’Aces Extreme.
Meanwhile, in the lone game played last Friday the NMI/DYS Rollers defeated the Northside Wolves, 73-49.
NMI/DYS Rollers also used a second-quarter scoring surge to beat the Wolves. Ahead by only a deuce after the first period, 14-12, NMI/DYS Rollers exploded for 31 points in the second frame to enjoy a double-digit lead at the break, 45-28. Jude Tengco and Warren Ellama combined for 19 points in the second canto, while Jun Fidelino made NMI/DYS Rollers’ last 5 points in the first half to hand their team the 17-point advantage. NMI/DYS Rollers never looked back from thereon, as their other players stepped up in the second half to keep the wide margin.
