D&Q/CTSI snaps skid, routs Mobil

D&Q/CTSI’s Ferdie de la Torre pulls up for a jumper against two Mobil/COAG defenders during the second quarter of their game in the JEM/Mobil caging last Monday the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

D&Q/CTSI got out of its slump following an 80-54 victory over Mobil/COAG in the nightcap on the JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League last Monday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

The win ended D&Q/CTSI’s three-game losing skid and improved the squad’s record to 2-4 for fifth place in the team standings in Pool B. D&Q/CTSI has one game left (against Star Water) in the round-robin regular season and regardless of the results of its final match, the team is likely to face one of the Top 4 teams in Pool A in the first phase of the single-elimination playoffs.

After both teams struggled on their offense early in the game, D&Q/CTSI picked up its scoring late in the first quarter to end the period with a double-digit lead, 22-8. D&Q/CTSI had a balance attack in the first 10 minutes of play with six of the seven players who showed up for the match making it to the board.

Edong Echaves, who came off the bench and tallied D&Q/CTSI’s last 3 points in the opening canto, added 7 in the second and drew enough help from his teammates to double up Mobil at the break, 48-24.

D&Q/CTSI’s advantage ballooned to as much as 26 in the first few minutes of the third period before Mobil made headway and brought the lead down to 3. However, D&Q/CTSI got its second wind in the closing minutes of the third, thanks to Ariel Jinang, Ramsa Tenepere, and Ferdie de la Torre’s baskets, to regain the double-digit spread, 58-48. D&Q/CTSI was never threatened after that to take its second win in six games.

Six D&Q/CTSI players finished in twin digits with Echavez leading the way with his 15 points. Joe Santos chipped in 14, de la Torre and Jinang had 13 each, and Tenepere and Fujihara contributed 11 apiece. Alvin Almario paced Mobil with his 14 markers, while Edwin Torres was the other double-figure scorer for the losing squad with 12.

Torres also hit twin digits in their 81-48 demolition of Konstrak Builders last Thursday after firing a team-high 17 points.

The victory was Mobil’s first after dropping its first three. Alain Gomez added 16, while Patrick Pelisamen and Almario logged 12 and 11, respectively.

With Mobil spreading the wealth, it controlled the game right from the get-go and never relinquished the big lead after taking a 23-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Konstrak Builders absorbed its sixth loss in as many matches as only Ronald Bernardo drilled more than two field goals for the squad to record a game-high 30 markers.

Thursday Game
Mobil/COAG 81 – Torres 17, Gomez 16, Pelisamen 12, Almario 11, Muna 10, Agustin 9, Alves 7, Cisnero 2,
Konstrak Builders 48 – Bernardo 30, Ayson 4, Espejo 4, David 3, Alfonso 3, Lenon 2, Lansang 2.
Scoring by quarters: 23-10, 48-24, 66-35, 81-48.

Monday Game
D&Q/CTSI 80 – Echavez 15, Santos 14, de la Torre 13, Jinang 13, Tenepere 11, Fujihara 11, Asaivao 3.
Mobil/COAG 54 – Almario 14, Torres 12, Sison 9, Pelisamen 9, Agustin 4, Cisnero 2, Aguilar 2.
Scoring by quarters: 22-8, 41-27, 58-48, 80-54.