Previous Story
MBI enters finals of Blue Haus caging
|
Posted on Sep 21 2011
By Walter J. Sutherland
Reporter
Reporter
Micronesian Brokers, Inc. clinched the first finals berth in the 2011 Blue Haus Invitational Basketball League after beating Cell Pro in their playoff game, 71-59, last Monday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.
MBI will battle the championship against the winner of tonight’s do-or-die game between Cell Pro-Sherwin Williams. MBI will have a twice-to-beat advantage in the championship round, as it is unbeaten in the playoffs. MBI won over Sherwin William in its first playoff match last Friday, 71-66.
In its second game in the three-team playoffs, MBI played with the same fire to book the first finals berth.
An 18-9 scoring in the third quarter was all MBI needed to pull away and cruise to the 12-point win. Already ahead by 10 at the break, 40-30, MBI stretched the advantage to 19, 58-39, behind Leo Galarse’s eight points. Five other MBI players made it to the scoreboard in the third period.
Cell Pro’s chances of keeping up with MBI in the second half were doomed when the latter tightened up its defense in the third period and held the former to single digit in scoring. Jude Loste made only four points and Roy Hernandez and Rocyl Ritual were held to three and two markers, respectively.
MBI hung on to the lead in the fourth quarter with Galarse adding four more points and Noel David making five.
David anchored MBI’s good start, sizzling for 11 points in the opening quarter and lifting his team a 23-17 lead. He scored MBI’s first seven points, while Art Trajano added eight in the first canto.
Ritual and Herrera kept Cell Pro afloat in the first 10 minutes of the match, as they combined for 13 markers.
In the first few minutes of the second half, David was held to a pair of free throws, but Galarse came off the bench and contributed nine points to give MBI a double-digit lead at halftime, 40-30.
David top-scored for MBI with 26, while Galarse and Trajano chipped in 21 and 14, respectively. Hernandez made 16 markers in the loss.
MBI 71 – David 26, Galarse 21, Trajano 14, Achas 6, Cabrera 2, Cordero 2.
Cell Pro 59 – Hernandez 16, Ritual 14, Herrera 14, Norita 7, Loste 6, Tibayan 2.
Scoring by quarters: 23-17, 40-30, 58-39, 71-59.
