IT&E, Blue Haus continue winning in masters

IT&E’s Sonny Lerio is fouled by two Gilas Batang players on the way to the basket during their masters game in the United Filipino Organization IT&E 2019 Basketball League last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Mark Rabago)

League-leading Blue Haus and IT&E continued their winning ways in the masters division of the United Filipino Organization IT&E 2019 Basketball League last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Blue Haus remained perfect by notching win No. 7 at the expense of Saimor Pilot, 111-77, in the second 40-and-over game of the evening.

The fireworks on Chinese New Year were provided by Ehrol Peredo and Junar Guiab right from the get-go as the dynamic duo torched Saimar Pilot with 25 combined points and Blue Haus zoomed to a 28-20 spread after the first canto.

Peredo would fire 10 more points in the second and with point guard Elmer Esdrelon and Bruce Berline adding some muscle, Blue Haus opened a 58-34 lead at the half.

Blue Haus continued to lord it over against an also-ran Saimar Pilot in the third, as Peredo and company didn’t let their opponents off the hook and took a 75-57 advantage heading into the fourth and final quarter.

It was Peredo’s older brother Richard’s turn to score in bunches in the payoff period, as the shooting guard lit up Saimar Pilot with 13 of his total 21 points to all but seal the deal for Blue Haus.

Ehrol was named player of the game with his 32 points, while Richard ably backed him up with the aforementioned 21 markers of his own. Saimar Pilot, which dropped to a 4-2 win-loss record, was paced by the 20 markers of Melvin Villarin and the 16 of Edong Echavez.

In the earlier masters game between IT&E and Gilas Batang, the former extricated itself from a tight first half to beat Gilas Batang, 79-63.

IT&E only took the first period by 4 points and the half by 8 before leaving Gilas Batang in a cloud of dust in the second half. The team’s resurgence was led by Dexter Tenorio and Sonny Lerio as the two swingmen scored at will in the third canto to give IT&E a more comfortable 56-30 tally entering the final 10 minutes of the contest.

George Masga then put on the finishing touches on IT&E’s dominant victory over Gilas Batang as the center pumped in 8 points in the fourth quarter. It was second straight win and the fourth in six outings for IT&E.

John Jugos again put up big numbers in the loss for Gilas Batang with 25 points. It was the fourth setback against two victories for Gilas Batang.

IT&E 79 – Masga 21, Lerio 20, Tenorio 17, Joyner 12, Pineda 4, Zapata 2, Poquiz 2.
Gilas Batang 63 – Jugos 25, Tibayan 17, Wijango 7, Tibayan 5, Basa 4, De Jesus 2.
Scoring by quarters: 19-15, 38-30, 56-30, 79-63.

Blue Haus 111 – E. Peredo 32, R. Peredo 21, Guiab 17, Berline 14, T. Diaz 12, E. Diaz 10, Buenabajo 6, Esdrelon 5.
Saimar Pilot 77 – Villarin 20, Echavez 16, Dela Cruz 12, Raho 10, Singca 10, Tolentino 8.
Scoring by quarters: 28-20, 58-34, 75-57, 111-77.