MDX sweeps regular season

 MDX finished their regular season in the 2011 DLX Basketball Invitational Friendship League with a perfect record, following an 84-63 rout of Sherwin Williams last Monday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

MDX completed the round-robin elimination with a flawless 8-0 mark, while Sherwin Williams dropped to a 3-3 record with two games left in the regular season. The immaculate record secured MDX the No. 1 seed in the single-elimination playoffs, while Sherwin Williams is also assured of a slot to the next round despite falling to the No. 5 spot. Only the Top 8 teams in the nine-team field will make it to the playoff round.

With Sherwin Williams missing key players Jun Estolas, Jawn Joyner, and Elgene Mangali, who were playing in another league at the same night, MDX had no problem cruising to its eighth win in as many games.

MDX jumped to a 16-4 advantage after 10 minutes of play with all its starters making it to the scoreboard, while only Chuck Deleon Guerrero and Victor Mallari scored for Sherwin Williams.

Sherwin Wiliams never recovered from thereon, as it clearly missed the contributions of its three scorers. MDX retained the double-digit margin in the next three quarters behind its balance scoring.

Four MDX players went on to finish the game in double figures. Alex Lauron fired 16, Erlan Lansang added 15, and Zack Diaz and Dexter Tenorio chipped in 14 and 10, respectively. Only Jerome Reyes and Victor Mallaria tallied double digits for Sherwin Williams with 24 and 18, respectively, and the rest of their teammates combined for only 12 markers.

8th Division 84, Pacific Postal 55

8th Division finished the regular season with a 3-5 record after beating Pacific Postal.

8th Division is now in the playoffs, while Pacific Postal is in danger of elimination with with its winless 0-6 card. Pacific Postal is in a tie for eighth to ninth place with FGC.

A 31-11 scoring in the third quarter allowed 8th Division to pull away and notch its third victory. 8th Division was ahead by only two at the break, 38-36, when the trio of Ric Alejandro and Matthew and Ernest Duenas teamed up in the third-quarter breakaway. Matthew Duenas scored 10 points in the juggernaut, while Alejandro and Ernest Duenas chipped in nine and seven, respectively, turning a shaky two-point lead to a comfortable 69-47 advantage at the end of the third.

8th Division preserved the safe lead in the fourth canto with Ernest Duenas adding seven more points to finish with a game-high 24 markers, the same output Alejandro posted. Matthew Duenas logged 18. Mico Usi and Ramsa Tenepere top-scored for Pacific Postal with 14 points each.

First Game

8th Division 84 – E. Duenas 24, Alejandro 24, Mat. Duenas 18, Man. Duenas 6, Lansang 4, Detera 2.

Pacific Postal Plus 63 – M. Usi 14, Tenepere 14, Anicete 11, Claveria 10, Agbanlog 7, Acosta 5.

Scoring by quarters: 22-15, 38-36, 69-47, 84-63.

Second Game

MDX 77 – Lauron 16, Lansang 15. Diaz 14, Tenorio 10, Lisua 9, Johanes 4.

Sherwin Williams 55 – Reyes 25. Dayrit 18, Navarro 6, Mallari 4, Deleon Guerrero 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-4, 44-20, 62-34, 77-55.