Sunrisers widen lead in DLX/Miller Lite caging

  Sunrisers stretched their lead in the team standings of the 2nd Domino Lux International Fraternity/Miller Lite Basketball Invitational Friendship League after slipping past Hite Beer/Blue Haus, 64-59, last Wednesday night at the Gualo Rai Basketbal Court.

The win was the Sunrisers/Island Apparel’s seventh in eight matches, giving the team three-game lead over defending champion Blue Haus (4-1). Incidentally, Blue Haus led its rained-out game against the Sunrisers last month, 69-53, with a full quarter left. Not counting their pending match over Blue Haus, the Sunrisers have one game left (versus QQ Rent A Car on Wednesday) in the round-robin elimination and are already assured of a playoff spot.

Hite Beer dropped to a 2-5 record, absorbing its third straight loss, and is in danger of not making it to the next round.

The Sunrisers led from start to finish and halted Hite Beer’s rally late in the fourth quarter. The Sunrisers limited Hite to only two field goals in the opening quarter for an early double-digit lead, 18-6. The league frontrunners had a balance offense in the first period, drawing points from seven different plays, while only Alex Lauron and Ray Babauta scored for Hite Beer with four and two markers, respectively.

Hite picked up its scoring in the second period behind the seven points of Lauron, however it outgunned Sunrisers by only three, 15-12, leaving the latter with a 30-21 halftime lead.

The Sunrisers regained their twin-digit margin in the third, 49-39, after Jawn Joyner showed up at the start of the second half and scored six and Preston Basa also added three field goals.

Josh Sablan, who finished with 11 markers, started the fourth with a triple and the Sunrisers hung on to the lead to extend Hite’s skid.

Shirley’s 62, Andhok’s Grille 52

In the first game, Shirley’s Coffee Shop booked back-to-back wins after beating the depleted crew of Andhok’s Grille.

Shirley’s now has a 3-4 record for a tie for fifth place with SCS Heavy Equipment, moving three notches up to the team standings.

Bruce Berline and Marvin Rabauliman tallied 14 points apiece for Shirley’s which capitalized on the absence of three Andhok’s players. Tim Wesley was suspended for one game after an altercation with Smart Cagers’ Edwin Santos last week, while John Artates and Mike Olaitiman were banned from playing in the league for entering the court and punching Santos.

With their three players out, Andhok’s offensive option were limited and the team’s biggest output in a quarter was only 15 points (first period). In each of the next three quarter, Andhok’s failed to score more than 12 markers.

Shirley’s, which led by three at the end of the opening canto, 18-15, slowed down in the second, nailing only six to fall behind at the break, 24-27. However, Shirley’s behind Berline and Rabauliman regrouped in the second half en route to the 10-point win.

First Game

Sunrisers/Island Apparel 64 – Basa 12, Sablan 11, Joyner 8, J. Quitugua 6, Mendez 6, Peters 4 R. Quitugua 4, Deleon Guerrero 3, Lizama 2.

Hite Beer/Blue Haus 59 – Lauron 18, Palacios 17, Park 8, Tenorio 6, Diaz 4, Z. Babauta 3, R. Babauta 2, Cabrera 1.

Scoring by quarters: 18-6, 30-21, 49-39, 64-59.

Second Game

Shirley’s Coffee Shop 62 – Berline 14, Rabauliman 14, Barrios 12, Petersberg 8, Norita 6, Lang 2.

Andhok’s Grille 52 – De Guzman 19, Umali 10, Libuw 8, Capald 7, Llagas 4, Garcia 2.

Scoring by quarters: 18-15, 24-27, 42-38, 62-52.