PIC Chefs eliminate Hawaiian Rock

Players of PIC Chefs pose for a photo before playing in an earlier game in the Emon Lodge-Docomo Pacific Cup last month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Contributed Photo)

With the victory, PIC Chefs advanced to the semifinals and will play unbeaten and top-ranked Blue Haus in the first semis game today at 6:30pm. Hawaiian Rock joined I Love Saipan and Degree in the showers.

Hawaiian Rock, which defeated PIC Chefs in the round-robin regular season, failed to make it two in a row against the latter and was eliminated as it could not sustain a good start and scored no more than 14 points in each of the last three quarters. Hawaiian Rock led by 7 after the first period, 24-17, and was still on top by 6 at the break, 31-37, before PIC Chefs took over in the second half to steal the victory.

PIC Chefs doubled up Hawaiian Rock in the third period, 22-11, to take a 5-point cushion, 53-48, entering the final canto.

Rodney Catalla and Jun Tabora connived in the third-quarter recovery, combining for 16 of their total output in the period. Catalla drained three triples, while Tabora contributed 7 markers. Dante Tabora registered the other 6 points of PIC Chefs in the pivotal third.

Hawaiian Rock lost the lead in the third, as no player on its roster hit more than one basket in the meltdown. It then tried to regain the upper hand, but committed more fouls than baskets. PIC Chefs, on the other hand, capitalized on Hawaiian Rock’s inability to play honest defense, drilling 11 free throws, nine of them came in succession past the halfway mark of the fourth quarter.

Catalla converted three of those charities and added two more triples to help PIC Chef record a 12-point winning margin. Jun Tabora scored all his 7 markers from the foul line to finish with a game-high 25 points, while Catalla backed him up with his 24 points. Dante Tabora and Butch Sublemente were the only two other PIC Chef players to make it to the board, chipping in 12 each.

Robert Guiang led Hawaiian Rock with his 15 markers, but his points were scattered and the rest of his teammates could not hit baskets in streaks to lose grip of the lead in the second half. Art Salazar was the only other Hawaiian Rock player to score in twin digits with 10 and 6 of them came early in the first period when his team was on top.

PIC Chefs 74 – Tabora 25, Catalla 24, Sublemente 12, Tabora 12.

Hawaiian Rock 62 – Guiang 15, Salazar 10, Tiples 8, Abaygar 7, Palacios 7, Dela Cruz 4, Lopez 4, Tengco 2, Saplan 2.

Scoring by quarters: 17-24, 31-37, 53-48, 74-62.