MJD eases way to semifinals

MJD Enterprises’ Bobby Sampang, right, fakes off the defense of Erika’s Catering/Ferrera Builders’ Danny Illahi during an earlier game in the masters division of the San Antonio caging at the San Antonio court. MJD is now in semis following a 106-75 rout of CES Electronics last Saturday.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

MJD Enterprises booked a semis ticket in the masters division of the 2015 San Antonio Community Action Network Basketball League after routing CES Electronics, 106-75, last Saturday night at the San Antonio court.

MJD will now be paired against GMJ Wholesale/IKKI in the semifinals with the winner facing in the finals the victor of the Armatech-VM Production playoff match. The semis schedule has yet to be announced at press time.

As expected, the highly favored MJD drew little resistance from CES in the former’s bid to eliminate the latter. MJD was picked to win the playoff match easily, having ruled the elimination round with its perfect 8-0 mark. While MJD was ranked at the top of the ladder in the playoffs, CES was on the opposite side, finishing the regular season at eighth place with its 1-7 mark.

MJD took no time in asserting its might against CES, opening a 25-15 lead after the first period. Seven different players hit the board for MJD in the first frame with four of them knocking in at least two field goals apiece.

On the other hand, CES could not keep up with MJD’s firepower, as only Ariel Abadilla drilled more than one field goal for the losing squad in the first 10 minutes of play.

In the next 10 minutes, MJD continued to pile up points to stretch its lead to 18 at the break, 53-35. Randy Mungcal, who had 7 points in the first quarter, played even better in the second, tallying 10, while Jun Tabora chipped 8 after making only 2 in the opening canto to widen the gap.

Facing a big deficit, CES failed to make enough headway in the second half to move closer and at least bring MJD’s lead down to single digits. It did not help that CES got consistent contributions only from Sonny Ebuen and John Capuyon.

MJD went on to pull away further in the second half and reach the century mark with its balance scoring. Five MJD players ended up scoring in double figures, while three more combined for 22 markers. Mungcal led MJD with his 20 points, while Alex Ocampo and Tabora logged 18 apiece. Jun Alipio and Jorge De Guzman added 12 each and Alfred Rosario, Jojo Parcutillo, and Bobby Sampang teamed up for 22. Zaldy Deocares rounded up MJD’s box scores with his 4 markers.

Capuyon had 18 to pace CES, which got 17 from Ebuen, while the rest of the team picked up garbage points.

MJD 106 – Mungcal 20, Ocampo 18, Tabora 18, Alipio 12, De Guzman 12, Rosario 8, Parcutillo 8, Sampang 6, Z. Deocares 4.

CES 75 – Capuyon 18, S. Ebuen 17, Tibayan 9, De Jesus 9, Abadilla 8, Dacomos 4, Tobias 2, Echavez 2, Tengco 2.

Scoring by quarters: 25-15, 53-35, 80-54, 106-75.