Hite Beer recovers, edges Smart Cagers

Hite Beer snapped its three-game losing skid after thwarting Smart Cagers/ Ali’i, 65-61, in the curtain raiser in the 2nd Domino Lux International Fraternity/Miller Lite Basketball Invitational Friendship League last Saturday night at the Gualo Rai Basketbal Court.

Hite Beer, which drew a lucky charm in its mix-and-match uniform (new bottom and old top), improved to a 3-5 record and remain in contention in the eight-team playoff round. Smart Cagers dropped to a 2-5 card and must win their last two games to keep their playoff bid alive.

Dexter Tenorio delivered clutch baskets for Hite Beer, making all his eight markers in the fourth quarter to halt Smart Cagers’ rally.

Smart Cagers trailed by as much as 15 in the second quarter, but slowly sliced Hite’s lead in the fourth, moving within three, 60-57, going into the final two minutes of play. Errol Peredo and Ron Gamboa converted one basket each in the paint off Smart Cagers’ back-to-back steals to threaten Hite Beer, but Tenorio eluded his defenders in the ensuing play for a layup to give his team enough cushion, 62-57.

Tenorio then went 2-for-4 from the stripe, while Mike Palacios split his charities to keep the lead and the win for Hite Beer.

The Smart Cagers made one final attempt to force the game in overtime when Errol Peredo made a basket and drew a foul in the paint, 61-64. He missed the bonus shot, grabbed the offensive rebound, and went for a game-tying triple from the left corner, but muffed the trey. After the miss, Tenorio grabbed the rebound, was fouled in the last 0.9 of a second and made his second free throw for the insurance.

[B]Blue Haus 85, Sunrisers 76[/B]

In a make-up game, Blue Haus picked up where it left off to beat pacesetter Sunrisers.

Blue Haus and the Sunrisers played the remaining one quarter of their rained-out match last match with the former on top, 69-53.

Bernard Aquino, who had only two points after three quarters, stepped up in the resumption of the match, scoring nine straight points in the fourth period to lift Blue Haus to a 5-2 record and hand the Sunrisers their first loss in eight games.

Junar Guiab and Brendon Talania also scored in the fourth canto for Blue Haus, while only Jawn Joyner and Preston Basa made more than one field goal for the Sunrisers in the final canto.

[B]First Game

Hite Beer 65[/B] – Lauron 19, Palacios 14, Lansang 9, Park 8, Tenorio 8, R. Babauata 3, Diaz 2.

[B]Smart Cagers/Ali’i 61[/B] – Peredo 30, Gamboa 10, De Dios 7, Inos 6, Usi 2.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 19-10, 38-25, 54-42, 65-61.
[B] Second Game

Blue Haus 85[/B] – Guiab 23, Esdrelon 20, Aquino 13, Talania 9, Camacho 6, Itaas 4, Tumaquip 4, Fernandez 2.

[B]Sunrisers 76[/B] – Joyner 32, Jos. Sablan 16, Lizama 13, Basa 7, Manibusan 4.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 18-20, 42-29, 69-53, 85-76.