PIC ousts GMJ/IKKI, enters finals

Pacific Islands Club’s Jack Aranda drives against GMJ/IKKI Wholesale’s J.R. Barrios, left, and Juan Camacho, during the fourth quarter of their semis game in the San Antonio caging last Monday night at the San Antonio court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Pacific Islands Club foiled GMJ/IKKI Wholesale’s bid for another finals entry following a 96-78 victory in their semis game in the 2015 San Antonio Community Action Network Basketball League last Monday night at the San Antonio court.

PIC got off to a good start and survived GMJ/IKKI’s repeated rallies to notch the second finals berth and set up a meeting against Blue Haus for the inaugural league’s overall championship. The victory also avenged PIC’s 76-79 semis loss to GMJ/IKKI in the west division, which the latter eventually ruled following an 81-75 win over Blue Haus.

GMJ/Wholesale missed a second finals stint as it stared at early double-digit deficit, 16-27. PIC stunned the west division champion in the first quarter after connecting from downtown at the get-go with Jack Aranda drilling back-to-back triples and James Abuy adding another shot from beyond the arc. Darwin Barbo also knocked in one triple in the closing minutes of the first period and three other PIC players hit the board in the opening canto for their 11-point advantage.

GMJ/Wholesale could not keep up with PIC’s hot shooting in the first frame, as only Juan Camacho canned more than one field goal for the former. The GMJ/Wholesale workhorse scored the squad’s first 7 points and the rest of his teammates combined for only three field goals in the first 10 minutes of play.

Other GMJ/Wholesale began hitting their marks in the next two quarters, but PIC answered back with Aranda, Barbo, Abuy, and Sean Rabasto alternately converting baskets for the southern squad and keeping their double-digit spread.

By the end of the first half, PIC’s advantaged ballooned to 19, 49-30, behind the 12 second-quarter points of Aranda, and the team remained in control in the third, 73-57, thanks to Rabasto’s 10 markers in the penultimate quarter.

In the fourth canto, GMJ/IKKI Wholesale cut the deficit to as low as 11, 76-87, with James Villacrusis anchoring a 7-0 run with a triple and a fastbreak layup. Elgene Mangali scored the 2 other points off another layup and GMJ/IKKI Wholesale had a chance to move closer in the last 3:10 of the match, but it fired blanks in its next eight attempts, including three layups from Mark Ferrer, before a putback from Camacho in the final 41 seconds ended the string of misses.

PIC, on other hand, secured the victory with Abuy and Aranda combining for the team’s last 9 points and the latter putting icing on the cake by burying a triple at the buzzer.

Aranda paced PIC with his 30 points, while Rabasto still finished in twin digits with his 18 despite leaving the court at the 6:34 mark of the fourth canto due to a minor injury. Rabasto’s feet got tangled with Marlon Sison’s, causing tension between the opposing teams.

The incident happened when Rabasto unloaded a floater from the right baseline, fell to the ground, and missed the shot. There was a fight for the rebound with Sison battling two PIC players and one of his teammates. Bodies collided in the air as all four went for the ball and Sison was eventually pushed and he landed on Rabasto.

A commotion erupted after that with PIC coach Noel Verder leaving the bench and entering the court to confront Sison. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and prevented further altercation between Sison and Verder, who were each slapped with a technical foul.

The game resumed and PIC managed to keep its safe distance, as GMJ/IKKI failed to hit baskets in streaks and missed a lot of point-blanked shots in the homestretch.

Barbo and Abuy added 18 and 16 points for PIC to back up Aranda and Rabasto, while Camacho led GMJ/IKKI with his 21 markers. Mangali chipped in 19.

Meanwhile, the PIC-Blue Haus winner-take-all finale will be played this Saturday at 8pm after the 6:30pm consolation match between GMJ/IKKI and Cholos.

PIC 96—Aranda 30, Rabasto 18, Barbo 18, Abuy 16, Espinosa 7, Castro 4, Babauta 3.

GMJ/IKKI 78—Camacho 21, Mangali 19, Barrios 10, Villacrusis 8, Esteves 5, Oyola 3, Sison 3, Ferrer 2.

Scoring by quarters: 27-16, 49-30, 73-57, 96-78.