LBT Appraisal gains share of lead

LBT Appraisal posted another lopsided win, crushing Graphics/Star 6 BBQ, 90-62, in the lone Masters game in the 2015 United Filipino Organization Basketball League last Saturday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

LBT Appraisal’s Buboy Sampang pulls up for a jumper against Graphics/ Star 6 BBQ’s Orly Ebuen during the fourth quarter of their Masters division game in the UFO caging last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The easy victory was third in a row for LBT Appraisal as it topped Armatech, 80-64, in its debut early this month and then walloped the Old’Aces last week, 103-76. The win also put LBT Appraisal in the lead alongside idle Blue Haus, while Graphics/Star 6 BBQ is at the bottom of the six-team field with its 0-4 record.

LBT Appraisal dominated Graphics/Star 6 BBQ right from the get-go, registering a 20-9 advantage after the first period. It padded its lead in the last three quarters by torching Graphics/Star 6 BBQ with a variety of baskets, which came from multiple players.

Alex Ocampo took over for LBT Appraisal in the first half, dropping 6 straight points, while five of his teammates also made it to the board in the opening 10 minutes of play.

Graphics/Star 6 BBQ was held to four field goals in the first period and though it picked up its scoring a bit in the second, still it was no match to LBT Appraisal’s firepower. Ed Pangelinan started the second canto with a triple, while Rodney Catalla ended it with his own version of a trey, and their teammates provided the needed points in between to stretch LBT Appraisal’s lead to 19 at the break, 42-23.

At the resumption of the match, Graphics/Star 6 BBQ finally countered every basket LBT Appraisal canned, but it was not enough to give the former momentum for a fourth-quarter fight-back.

In the fourth period, Pangelinan regained his shooting touch and knocked in three triples, as LBT Appraisal finished off the hapless Graphics/Star 6 BBQ, which had trouble deciding who to focus its defense as its foes have multiple offensive options.

Four players scored in double figures for LBT Appraisal with Tabora and Pangelinan tallying 17 each and Randy Mungcal and Ed Cosino adding 12 apiece. Four other LBT Appraisal players combined for 24 more markers.

Sonny Ebuen paced Graphics/Star 6 BBQ with his 18 points, while Dick Tibayan chipped in 11, but most of them came when the game was already decided.

LBT 90 – Tabora 17, Pangelinan 17, Mungcal 12, Cosino 12, Ocampo 8, Vargas 6, Catalla 5, Sampang 5, Alipio 2, Tiples 2,

Graphics/Star 6 62 – S. Ebuen 18, Tibayan 11, Abadilla 9, Pablo 4, Garcia 4, Farinas 4, O. Ebuen 3, De Jesus 2.

Scoring by quarters: 20-9, 42-23, 62-42, 90-62.