PIC eliminates GMI Market

Pacific Islands Club pounded GMI Market, 99-61, to make it to the semifinals in the west division of the 2015 San Antonio Community Action Network Basketball League last Monday at the San Antonio court.

PIC used a lull in the closing minutes of the third period to break GMI Market’s back, while the latter played erratic basketball in the fourth, allowing the former to turn a close match to a lopsided win.

GMI Market was just down by single digits, 46-55, when the match was halted by rain at the 1:41 mark of the third quarter. The game resumed about 10 minutes later and PIC went on to score 7 unanswered points to build a promising 62-46 advantage. Rey Babauta and Jake Quitugua had one field goal apiece in that short rally, while Jack Aranda knocked in a triple.

Babauta, along with Raymark Castro, came to play at the resumption of the match, providing some hustle for PIC and disrupting GMI Market’s offensive sets in the final stage of the third canto. A triple from Jesse Santos, who was in and out of the game, in the last 10 seconds of that period ended GMI Market’s silence and moved the team within 13, 49-62, with a full quarter to go.

However, that was the closest that GMI Market would get, as another 7-0 run early in the final canto helped PIC pull away. PIC pounced on GMI Market’s careless passes to get away with easy baskets and when the former was not making uncontested layups, its top gunner Jack Aranda was peppering their opponents with one triple after another.

Aranda drilled six triples in the fourth quarter alone, capping his hot shooting in the final canto with back-to-back treys. His sixth basket from downtown was PIC’s last field goal, while Jeff Deleon Guerrero made the final shot—a layup—in the match before rain stopped the game anew with 1:02 left on the clock. With PIC ahead by a whopping 38 points, GMI Market threw in the towel, informing game officials that they will no longer play the remaining minute of the match.

Aranda led PIC’s rout of GMI Market, firing 30 points. Jack Quitugua added 16, while Darwin Barbo still finished in twin digits with his 12 markers despite staying on the bench majority of the fourth quarter. Barbo, James Abuy, and Mike Espinosa did not need to report back to the game early in the fourth, as Quitugua, Aranda, Castro, Emerson Feria, and Babauta worked well together in PIC’s breakaway.

While PIC found the right combination on the floor, it was a different story for GMI Market. There was too much reshuffling of personnel that shooters like Jesse and Jon Santos could not get into their zone. Mike Cabanas, who had a solid first half performance after scoring 12 points, saw limited minutes in the second half. Cabanas knocked in two of GMI Market’s first two field goals in the first period, which ended with his team behind by only a deuce, 10-12. He then tallied 10 markers in the second canto, as GMI Market kept PIC within striking distance at halftime, 31-37.

Cabanas did not start in the third quarter and GMI Market continued to switch players, while PIC stuck with three of its starters and reinforced them with Babauta and Castro to gain momentum in the closing minutes of the third.

Meanwhile, after eliminating GMI Market, PIC will have a tougher foe in top-ranked GMJ/IKKI, which got an automatic semis berth after ruling the round-robin regular season with its 6-1 record.

Only one Final Four slot is left in the west division with No. 2 seed Blue Haus battling last-ranked Armatech for the final semis ticket this week. The winner of the Blue Haus-Armatech tiff will challenge Cholos 8th Division in the semifinals.

PIC 99 – Aranda 30, Quitugua 16, Barbo 12, Rabasto 9, Feria 8, Abuy 7, Castro 4, Galloway 4, Babauta 3, Espinosa 2.

GMI Market 61 – Je. Santos 16, Cabanas 14, Jon Santos 10, John Santos 6, Deleon Guerrero 4, Palino 3, Hockett 2, Babauta 2, Flores 2, Doseo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 12-10, 37-21, 62-49, 99-61.