Fresco Saipan slips past Jacem

Fresco Saipan withstood Jacem Printing’ s fourth-quarter run to pull off a 70-66 victory in their Pool C game in the 2011 Blue Haus Invitational Basketball League Tuesday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

Jerry Mabini and J.R. Concepcion hit rally-halting baskets in the closing minutes of the game, while Jacem missed several treys and a couple of free throws in the homestretch, allowing Fresco to escape with the four-point win.

With Mabini and Concepcion anchoring Fresco’s fastbreak plays, the team led by double-digits at halftime, 38-26.

However, Jacem began working its way back into the game late in the third and continued to move closer in the early goings of the fourth canto. Jacem started the fourth quarter with back-to-back triples—one each from Rommel Yanto and Bradon Aurelio—to slice the lead to two, 53-55.

Fresco sued for time and when game resumed Mabini led the team’s 9-0 spurt to widen the gap anew, 64-53, going into the last three minutes of the game. Fresco regained the upper hand when Jacem missed several shots from downtown.

Jacem refused to give up and moved within five, 70-65, with 8.7 seconds to go and Aurelio getting ready for three free throws. He missed the first one, but hit the second for a 66-70 tally. Aurelio muffed the third one and there was a battle for the loose ball won by Jacem. However, the team ran out of time and failed to pull up for a shot.

Mabini top-scored for Fresco with 21 points, while Concepcion added 19. Josh Kiyoshi paced 30, but misfired on a couple of treys in the closing stages of the game. Aurelio chipped in 15.

Meanwhile, Sherwin Williams and Mawati recorded separate wins in last Saturday’s games.

Mawati topped Lyn’s BBQ in the second game in Pool C, 64-52, while the Pool B match saw Sherwin Williams down Life Force, 80-68.

Sherwin Williams was ahead by only four by the end of the third period, 52-48, when Joe Ada came off the bench and led the team’s fourth-quarter breakaway. Ada scored all his 14 points in the final canto.

Dado Vistal also contributed in the fourth-quarter rally, adding six of his 21 markers in that canto, while Jun Tabora took care of business in the first half for Sherwin Williams and also finished with 21 points.

In the second game, Mawati drew 10 points from Jerome Reyes in the fourth quarter to notch the 12-point victory.

Reyes had a quiet game in the first three quarters, making only one field goal in each frame before he found his rhythm in the final canto to lift the team to a debut win. Before Reyes’ explosion, Mawati was up by only five points against Lyn’s BBQ, 45-40.

[B]TUESDAY

First Game

Fresco Saipan 70[/B] – Mabini 22, Concepcion 19, Zhe 8, Park 6, Wodon 4, Camacho 4, Estoque 2.

[B]Jacem Printing 66[/B] – Kiyoshi 30, Aurelio 15, Mateo 4, Manalo 4, Yanto 3, Olivos 2, Litulimar 2.
[B] Scoring by quarters:[/B] 15-5, 38-26, 51-47, 70-66.

[B]SATURDAY

First Game

Sherwin Williams 80[/B] – Tabora 21, Vistal 21, Ada 14, O. Ebuen 6, Tobias 6, Mallari 6, S. Ebuen 4, Deleon Guerrero 2.
[B] Life Force 68[/B] – Ordones 20, Ibanez 16, Leomo 8, Buniag 7, Galvan 6, Cruz 4, Sablan 4, Cabaddu 4.

[B]Scoring by quarters: [/B]22-18, 44-32, 52-48, 80-68.

[B]Second Game

Mawati 64[/B] – Reyes 16, Avila 14, Dela Cruz 11, Rena 6, Tiribio 4, Enriquez 4, Demapan 4, Rejano 3.

[B]Lyn’s BBQ 52[/B] – Tenorio 10, Vergara 8, Samson 8, Cayanan 7, Palacios 4, Lazona 2, Estepa 1.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 13-12, 28-25, 45-40, 64-52.