Dream Team lead winners in cage opener

Dream Team and two other squads won their debut games in the 2014 Tan Holdings Basketball Classic last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Dream Team played in the curtain raiser after the traditional parade of teams that highlighted the opening ceremony and routed Rollers 3 in the boys U19 pairing, 84-50. In the last two games, Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan and Rollers 2 also came out victorious.

Four Dream Team players broke into double figures to lift their squad to the easy win. Dixon Kwon led the way with his 16 points, while John Darag added 14, and Ignacio Borja and Wilfredo Francisco contributed 10 apiece.

Dream Team’s Dixon Kwon goes high up for a shot against the Rollers 3’s Joel Subang during the first quarter of their game in the 2014 Tan Holdings Basketball Classic last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Dream Team had the game in the bag right at the end of the first half as it enjoyed a 42-16 advantage. Dream Team pulled away early, 15-1, as it held Rollers 3 without a field goal in the first five minutes and change of the game. Rollers A scored its lone point at the 14:24 mark the 20-minute first half off Jude Tengco’s split charity.

In the other boys U19 game, Rollers 2 barged into the win column after downing Sun Palace, 53-41, in the third game in the opening day.

Rollers 2 used a balance scoring to take the 12-point victory against Sun Place. Jun Alipio paced the Rollers 2 with his 10 points, while Jethro Cruz and Dalton Dancoe combined for 17. Five other Rollers 2 players chipped in at least 3 points each.

Ethan Manalili had 11 markers in Sun Palace’ loss and was held to one field goal in the second half.

In the lone women’s open division match, Fiesta Resort also notched a double-digit winning margin against Sun Palace, 40-30.

Friendly Joy Pena engaged in a shootout with Sun Palace’s Marlene Lumabi and matched the latter’s game-high 17 points to lift Fiesta to victory. Lian Reyes backed up Pena, adding 10 points.

Pena dropped 11 of her total markers in the first half to give Fiesta a 20-11 advantage. Her other teammates stepped up in the second half, allowing Fiesta to keep its safe distance against Sun Palace.

First Game

Dream Team 84–Kwon 16, Darag 15, Borja 10, Francisco 10, Borja 9, Castro 9, De Leon Guerrero 7.

Rollers 3 50–Factor 14, Ogumoro 14 13, Tengco 7, Dela Cruz 3, Alonzo 2, Arceo 2, Cruz, 2 Bordon 2, Yu 1.

Scoring by halves: 42-16, 80-50.

Second Game

Fiesta Resort 40–Pena 17, Reyes 10, Francisco 7, Lee 4, Bergosa 3.

Sun Palace 30–Lumabi 17, Abadilla 6, Francisco 4, Cardino 2, Villanueva 1.

Scoring by halves: 20-11, 40-30.

Third Game

Rollers 2 53–Alipio 10, Cruz 9, Dancoe 8, Deocares 5, Rios 5, Babauta 4, Santos 3, Abobo 3, Ellama 2.

Sun Palace 41–Manalili 11, Omengkar 8, Pangelinan 5, Capuyon 4, Benavente 3, Gabaldon 3, Ocaya 2, Pamintuan 1.

Scoring by halves: 30-24, 53-41.