Makalaro Lang back on top

Makalaro Lang returned to the top spot in the team standings in the 2015 Blue Haus/IT&E Inter-Color Basketball League following a 68-59 victory over Purple Rain yesterday at the Navy Hill court.

Makalaro Lang’s Ernie Moises unloads an open jumper in front of Purple Rain’s Ray Deleon Guerrero during the continuation of their rain-suspended match in the Blue Haus-IT&E caging last night at the Navy Hill court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Makalaro Lang now has a 5-2 record for a share of the lead with Mamba, while Purple Rain absorbed its third straight loss for a 2-4 mark.

The Purple Rain-Makalaro Lang played only the last 17:59 of their rain-suspended Sept. 19 match. The game resumed with Makalaro Lang ahead by just 3 points, 28-25, and it remained close until the final 10 minutes of the match when Raymond Velasco, Ivan Devero, and Errol Peredo led a breakaway.

From a 44-39 advantage, Makalaro Lang stretched the lead to 15, 64-49, with the trio combining for 18 points in the team’s 20-12 scoring binge for seven minutes.

A short 8-0 run from Purple Rain anchored by R.J. Reyes’ and-1 play and a split free throw and capped by Rey Deleon Guerrero’s triple cut the deficit to single digits, 57-64. However, that was the closest Purple Rain could get, as time was not on its side with only 1:23 left on the clock and Makalaro Lang managed to take the next two possessions off the former’s errors. Makalaro Lang also got 3 more points from the two turnovers with Devero drawing a foul on Kevin Leomo and going 1-for-2 from the line and Greg De Leon converting a short jumper on a fastbreak play to bring their lead back to 10 and seal the win, 67-57.

Devero finished with a game-high 21 points, while his three other teammates also hit double figures. Velasco chipped in 17 and Peredo and Matt Buenabajo tallied 14 and 10, respectively. Deleon Guerrero paced Purple Rain with his 16 points, while Bruce Berline recorded 12. Paul Bautista was the third Purple Rain to score in twin digits with his 11 points, but was a non-factor in the homestretch when Makalaro Lang pulled away.

Meanwhile, Oh My J (4-2) and Red Rice (2-3) collide tonight at 5pm with the former hoping to bounce back from a 58-67 loss to Mamba. Incidentally, Mamba was also Red Rice’s opponent in its previous game with the latter stunning the league’s co-leader, 80-55.

Makalaro Lang 68 – Devero 21, Velasco 17, Peredo 14, Buenabajo 10, Moises 4, Deleon 2.

Purple Rain 59 – Deleon Guerrero 16, Berline 12, Bautista 11, Reyes 9, Isip 5, Flores 4, Leomo 2.

Scoring by halves: 26-23, 68-59.