Fiesta bounces back, thrashes Shirley’s
Fiesta Resort’s Elmer Esdrelon pulls up a jumper as World Resort’s Jomar Danas watches helplessly in their regular season game in the Inter-Hotel cage league. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Fiesta thus avoided elimination after being ambushed by defending champion Hyatt, 83-59, last week to join their tormentors, Shirley’s-Century, and Kanoa Resort, with identical 1-1 cards with all four teams needing to win their last games to avoid elimination.
Mariana Resort, which suffered a 106-37 thrashing from Pacific Islands Club (PIC) last week, was the first team to exit the league after failing to show up in its scheduled game against Kanoa also last Thursday.
World Resort, which was still playing Hyatt at press time, and PIC both hold 1-0 cards in the playoffs.
Elmer Esdrelon, Lerio Pagarao, and DJay Ong alternated in piling up the points for Fiesta Resort, which pulled away early in the match and was never threatened after that as Shirley’s-Century showed little resistance all game long.
Esdrelon and Pagarao combined for 20 of their team’s 24 points in the first quarter with Fiesta limiting Shirley’s-Century to a season-low 8 markers.
Fiesta Resort did not slow down after that and consistently burned the hoops in the second quarter to erect a 50-21 halftime spread.
Fiesta just cruised past Shirley’s-Century from there and enjoyed several 20-point leads until the final buzzer.
Esdrelon scattered 28 markers, Pagarao finished with 27 points, while Ong chipped in 20 more at the offensive end.
Only two players scored in double figures for Shirley’s-Century with Sean Rabasto finishing with 20 while Rommel Usi added 12.
Fiesta Resort 87 – Esdrelon 28, Pagarao 27, Ong 20, Matsutaro 6, Demafelix 2, Galag, Quizon 2.
Shirley’s/Century 59 – Rabasto 20, Usi 12, Sedllo 9, Dela Rosa 8, Aguilar 6, Laxa 2, Manibusan 2.
Scoring by quarters: 24-8, 50-21, 64-40, 87-59. (Jon Perez)