Back-to-back for VisMinda

VisMinda/PIAHI started a streak as it notched its second straight win, following an 85-63 victory over SAFSWO/Ebisuya in the UFO Inter-Organization Masters Basketball Docomo Pacific Cup 2011 on Thursday night at the TSL Sports Complex.

With its two wins and one loss, VisMinda keeps pace with co-leaders Cabalen/Wings Travel and MDX/Armatech, which hold similar 2-0 slates.

SAFSWO/Ebisuya absorbed its third straight defeat, as it ran out of steam in the fourth quarter after slugging it out with VisMinda in the first three quarters. SAFSWO/Ebisuya was behind by only a deuce after the third quarter, 53-55, but scored only 10 points in the payoff period against VisMinda’s 30 to drop another match.

Jun Abedes, Junior Renguul, and Henry Manipon teamed up in VisMinda’s fourth-quarter breakaway, combining for 19 points in that period.

SAFSWO/Ebisuya was limited to three field goals in the fourth with only Mike Surima making more than two points for the team in the final frame, three of them were from the foul line.

Before its fourth-quarter collapse, SAFSWO/Ebisuya played better than VisMinda in the first period, taking a 17-16 advantage. Surima and Dionie Malicdem joined forces in the opening canto for SAFSWO/Ebisuya, nailing seven and six markers, respectively.

Tables turned after the second quarter, but VisMinda went up only by a hair, 38-37. VisMinda drew contribution from seven different players in the second canto to take a slight advantage at halftime.

The game remained close in the third frame, as Malicden added six more points in that quarter and matched Abedes’ output.

However, in the fourth period, VisMinda’s much deeper bench showed up to help out the starters in taking full control of the game. In contrast, Surima failed to draw support from his teammates with Joel Buniag and Matt Buenabajo the only two other players scoring for SAFSWO/Ebisuya in the fourth with two points each.

Abedes fired 19 markers in VisMinda’s second win, while Renguul and Manipon added 16 and 14, respectively.

VisMinda/PIAHI 85 – Abedes 19, Renguul 16, Manipon 14, Alejandro 9, Gabaldon 6, Ruluked 6, Lizama 4, Anasan 4, Suda 3.

SAFSWO/Ebisuya 63 – Surima 15, Malicdem 14, Pablo 6, Echavez 5, Buniag 4, Conti 3, Mateo 2, Bucalig 2, Buenabajo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-17, 38-37, 55-53, 85-63.