BSI-Blue Eagle boosts semis bid

Best Sunshine International-Blue Eagle’s Douglas Schmidt stretches for a layup, while Cavite’s Alex Ocampo can only helplessly look on during the first quarter of their game in the UFO caging last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Best Sunshine International-Blue Eagle/SMF remains on target for an outright semis berth in the 2016 UFO/IT&E Inter-Organizational Basketball League after defeating Cavite, 75-68, last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

BSI-Blue Eagle, which got its fourth straight victory, now has a 6-1 record for second place in the team standings behind the unbeaten Ali’i Blue Haus/Bayani (6-0). The Top 2 squads after the round-robin regular season will automatically move into the semis, while the next four will battle for the two remaining Final Four tickets.

Cavite fell to a 2-4 record as it also lost to Save More/MIFICPA (3-3) in an earlier game last Thursday. The Boy Garcia-coached Cavite sits at fourth place in the team standings ahead of Maplas (1-5), PC Bargain/Visminda (1-6), and Armatech (0-3). 8th Division (4-2) and Stephen’s Pawnshop (4-2) complete the field.

Cavite dropped another game after falling short in its rally in the fourth quarter, which started with BSI-Blue Eagle on top by 10, 53-43. Preston Basa anchored Cavite’s run, drilling three triples and a layup that put his team in the lead momentarily, 63-62, midway in the final canto.

BSI-Blue Eagle squandered its double-digit lead as its main gunner Douglas Schmidt did not start in the fourth quarter. Schmidt reported back to the game and went on to bail out BSI-Blue Eagle, as he scored 7 markers in the homestretch, while Melvin Villarin backed him up, adding 4 points. Schmidt finished in twin digits with his 16, while Villarin and Matt Duenas also contributed double figures with 14 and 10, respectively.

Meanwhile, in last Thursday’s first game, Save More went all out in the fourth period for a 103-95 victory against Cavite.

The game was tied at 70-all at the end of the third when Sid Quan and Andrew Ashburn teamed up in the payoff frame to lift Save More to the win. Quan scored 13 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, while Ashburn chipped in 9.

Save More won the high-scoring game after earning a living from the foul line in the fourth canto. They scored 13 of their 33 points in the final period from the 15-foot line, while Cavite had only four charities.

Saturday Game
BSI-Blue Eagles 75 — Schmidt 16, Villarin 14, Matt Duenas 10, Hammond 5, Pablo 5, Raho 5, Manny Duenas 4, Standish 3, Palino 3, Rabago 2, Peredo 2, Echavez 2.
Cavite 68 — Basa 29, Ocampo 20, Laguindam 9, Quemado 6, Sevilla 2.
Scoring by quarters: 26-15, 35-28, 53-43, 75-68.

Thursday Game
Save More 103 — Quan 30, Mangali 18, Ashburn 13, Meisa 12, Guiang 10, Lilles 6, Backe 4, Viola 2, Mateo 2, Sison 2.
Cavite 95 — Basa 27, Laguindam 18, Ocampo 13, Renguul 12, Iglecias 12, Sevilla 9, Garcia 2, Quemado 2.
Scoring by quarters: 27-27, 49-45, 70-70, 103-95.