SMF, Bicol, LIPS pick up first wins

While wind and rain canceled outdoor sports Sunday, basketball action continued inside the safe comfort of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium with SMF-Seabridge, Bicol-Sabungero, and LIPS-JAM earning their first wins in the 2004 UFO-San Miguel Cup.

SMF relied on the one-two punch of Leo Itaas and Sonny Lerio to pull off a 94-84 win over Bayani.

Bayani actually led after the first quarter, 15-12, but it was downhill the second quarter onwards for them when Itaas and Lerio began to hit their strides.

Lerio, for example, fired 11 points in the second stanza and towed SMF to a 39-30 advantage at the break.

Even with Lerio and Itaas taking a break scoring-wise, Bayani wasn’t able to make up the deficit and went down 49-62 after the third, with SMF bull-strong forward Toto Banatasa getting away with 10 points in the period.

Itaas then anchored a strong finishing kick by SMF, pumping 9 points on an array of highlight moves as SMF pulled away for the victory.

Itaas and Lerio each scored 17 points and hauled down 7 rebounds to lead SMF. Comebacking Reynaldo Camacho and veteran big man Tim Paez topscored for Bayani with 18 and 14 points, respectively.

In the second game, Bicol survived a searing fourth-quarter run by MDX Amateur Radio Club to prevail 88-82.

Leading 72-51 at the end of three quarters of play, Bicol seemed headed for a sure win. But MDX would not go quietly, and led by Mike Umali, threatened before key baskets by Bicol’s Rowell Aranda and Rolando Vitug stemmed the tide.

The 20 points of Aranda and 17 of Vitug paced Bicol. Vitug was the game’s top rebounder with 9 boards. Umali was the highpoint man for MDX with 23.

In the nightcap, LIPS rebounded from last week’s loss to Bayani with a 73-51 morale-boosting win over an overmatched Cavite-Pacific Islands Club team.

LIPS led from start to finish and limited Cavite to a measly 10 points in the opening quarter.

Four players wound up in double figures for LIPS with Manny Guimalan leading the charge with 19. Center Jojo Guinto was also a man among boys totaling 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Cavite’s offense started and ended with the duo of Julian Ranas and Raymond Tolentino, who combined for 37 of the team’s 51 points.

FIRST GAME

SMF 94 – Lerio 17, L. Itaas 17, Banatasa 12, Moises 11, Fernandez 9, Pardinan 6, Sison 6, J. Itaas 4, Bartoces 4, Banares 3, Apelo 2, Elayda 2, Demegillo 2.

Bayani 84 – Camacho 18, Paez 14, Rabasto 12, Villegas 11, Guzman 9, Aglubat 6, Laitan 5, Navalta 4, Agbanlog 2.

Scoring by quarters: 12-15, 39-30, 62-49, 94-84.

SECOND GAME

Bicol 88 – Ro. Aranda 20, Vitug 17, Capalad 14, Welborn 7, Jugos 6, Tabamo 6, Calub 6, Tabora 5, Re. Aranda 2.

MDX 82 – Umali 23, Martin 14, Rebuyon 10, Baetong 10, Pambid 8, Lansangan 6, Samson 4, Sublemente 3, Malasarte 2.

Scoring by quarters: 28-15, 56-31, 72-51, 88-82.

THIRD GAME

LIPS 73 – Guimalan 19, Pe 13, Cantos 12, Guinto 11, Mariano 7, Lauron 6, Nato 4, Desigano 1.

Cavite 51 – Ranas 22, Tolentino 15, Pepito 6, Valdez 4, Antonio 3.

Scoring by quarters: 20-10, 34-26, 53-39, 73-51.