DYS, MDX advance to semis

  DYS/Bayani and MDX/Mariana Resort moved a win away from entering the finals of the U20 division of the 2012 UFO Docomo Pacific Cup after prevailing in separate playoff matches last Tuesday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

DYS/Bayani defeated SIP/Bayani in the first game, 93-85, while MDX/Mariana Resort routed Hi-Five/POWER in the second match, 62-45. DYS/Bayani will next face AON/Boholano on July 10 at 6:30pm with the winner advancing to the finals first, while MDX/Mariana Resort will duel the victor of the Hi-Five/POWER and SIP/Barney’s tiff, also on Tuesday, for the second finals berth.

MDX/Mariana Resort coasted to an easy win and boosted its finals bid after controlling the game late in the second quarter.

The match was still tied at 16-all, going into the final two minutes of the second period, before MDX/Mariana Resort closed out the first half with a 10-1 run. Hi-Five/POWER committed several turnovers in the closing minutes, while MDX/Mariana Resort turned those errors into points. Melvin Cadiang scored the most points in the rally, making 5 straight markers and giving MDX/Mariana Resort a 27-17 halftime advantage.

Hi-Five/POWER, which kept MDX/Mariana Resort at bay in the opening period and even took the lead after the first 10 minutes of play, 12-10, was held to 5 points in the second canto. It was scoreless in the first four minutes of the second frame before Gary Macahito made a layup and another 2-pointer. Franklin Macahito scored the other point for Hi-Five/POWER off a split free throw.

After a poor performance in the closing minutes of the second canto, Hi-Five/POWER scored the first basket in the third off Ariel Urbano’s long jumper, but Cadiang answered with a triple to keep MDX’s double-digit advantage.

MDX/Mariana Resort never looked back from thereon and padded the lead with its much deeper bench contributing at least one basket each in the second half. Hi-Five/POWER failed to make a big comeback in the second half, as its outside shooting was not there and only Donald Hockett and Franklin Macahito scored in twin digits. Reynald Cabaltica, who is a known scorer in the MISO caging, only contributed a deuce, as he came in late for the game, arriving at the 2:10 mark of the third, while Urbano was held to 8 points.

In the first game, DYS/Bayani leaned on its balance offense to survive SIP and John Darag’s 30-point explosion.

DYS/Bayani had four players scoring in double figure and three others combining for 19. Jaymark De Guzman logged 23 points, Nevin Salem added 17 and Josephus Aguilar and Chris Mizer tallied 13 and 12, respectively. Jimmy Tudela chipped in 7 and Paul Mariano and Jack Aranda had 6 apiece.

Aranda drained 4 of his total points in the fourth, including Bayani’s last two buckets that sealed the win, while Mariano and Aguilar combined for 11 in the final canto.

Darag had 10 in the fourth period, but lacked support from his teammates, as Erick Dela Rosa was only the second SIP player to score in twin digits with 16.

First Game

DYS/Bayani 93 – De Guzman 23, Salem 17, Aguilar 13, Mizer 12, Tudela 7, Mariano 6, Aranda 6, Villanueva 4, Camacho 4.

SIP/Barney’s 85 – Darag 30, Dela Rosa 16, Maranan 8, Metran 8, Francisco 5, Moran 4, Vertudez 4, Sacramento 2.

Scoring by quarters: 22-16, 46-41, 70-61, 93-85.

Second Game

MDX/Marianas Resort 62 – Cadiang 22, Hossain 11, Manglona 6, Palacios 6, De Leon 4, Caro 2, Benavente 2, Del Rosario 2, Mettao 2, Deleon Guerrero 2.

Hi-Five/POWER 45 – F. Macahito 15, Hockett 10, Urbano 8, G. Macahito 6, Cabaltica 2, Cristobal 2, Atalig 2.

Scoring by quarters: 10-12, 27-17, 52-32, 62-45.

By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter