IT&E disconnects Sailmar Pilot

IT&E Jawn Joyner blocks Sailmar Pilot’s Tony Raho in their masters division game in the United Filipino Organization IT&E 2019 Basketball League last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Mark Rabago)

Jawn Joyner scored all of his 20 points in the second half to lead IT&E to an 84-74 spanking of Saimar Pilot in their masters division game in the United Filipino Organization IT&E 2019 Basketball League last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Joyner didn’t only made his damage scoring in the second half, but also swatted several Sailmar Pilot layups. Those he didn’t block, he altered as Sailmar Pilot players botched several point-blank attempts in the fourth quarter with the 6’ slotman manning the middle for IT&E.

Sailmar Pilot actually took the initiative from the get-go. With Andrew Ashburn having his way inside with 9 early points, Sailmar Pilot led 26-21 after the first quarter.

It was more of the same in the second quarter, as Ashburn combined with swingman Melvin Villarin and Sailmar Pilot upped its lead to 7 points, 43-36, at the halfway point of the match.

That was about to change at the start of the third quarter, however. Cheered on by small but loud contingent of fans, IT&E began to assert itself and with Joyner pumping in 13 points backstopped by 6 from Dexter Tenorio, they grabbed the driver’s seat and never looked back, leading 63-58, going into the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Sailmar Pilot tried mightily to stage a comeback in the fourth, but it could only narrow IT&E’s lead down to 4 points, 65-69, on a 6-foot jumper by Tony Raho with 5:16 left in the game.

IT&E closed out Sailmar Pilot with a 15-9 run to seal the deal and catch their opponents in the team standings with a win-loss record of 5-3.

Joyner was named best player of the game with his 20 points, while Tenorio, who went down momentarily in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury, paced IT&E with 23 markers. Ashburn was brilliant all game long and led all scorers with 24 points, while Villarin added 14.

In the first game, JNS leaned on Jeff Jarap’s explosive start to raise its record to 6-3 in the masters division after routing Pacific Marine, 111-83.

JNS had a jackrabbit start and more than tripled Pacific Marine’s first quarter output, 31-10, thanks to Jarap’s 11 early points. Pacific Marine managed to trim their daunting deficit in the second, but still stared at a 15-point disadvantage heading into the third canto.

With the trio of Alex Ocampo, Tim Wesley, and Randy Mungcal running circles on their Pacific Marine defenders in the third quarter, JNS again went into full scoring mode and increased their lead to 81-53 heading into the payoff period.

Teng Alegre and Mungcal then nailed the final nails on Pacific Marine’s coffin in the fourth, firing a combined 20 points to help JNS cruise to the 28-point win. Jarap was named best player of the game with 19 points, while Alegre led them with 24 markers. Donnel Isip bombed away from the 3-point area to lead the now 1-7 Pacific Marine with 17 markers.

First Game
JNS 111 – Alegre 24, Japar 19, Mungcal 18, Wesley 18, Tabora 12, Ocampo 9, Tobias 8, Garcia 6, Berosa 2.
Pacific Marine 83 – Isip 17, Flores 17, Guilas 15, Manangan 12, Sevilla 8, Surima 6.
Scoring by quarters: 31-10, 53-38, 81-53, 111-83.

Third Game
IT&E 84 – Tenorio 23, Joyner 20, Lerio 14, Viola 12, Zapata 7, G. Masga 6.
Sailmar Pilot 74 – Ashburn 24, Villarin 14, Echavez 8, Raho 7, Tolentino 6, Guintu 6, Dela Cruz 2.
Scoring by quarters: 21-26, 36-43, 63-58, 84-74.