Red Rice gets first victory

Darwin Barbo picked up where he left off, towing Red Rice to a 62-54 win over Eh Di Wow at the resumption of their match in the 2015 Blue Haus/IT&E Inter-Color Basketball League last Sunday at the Navy Hill court.

Red Rice’s Darwin Barbo pulls up for a short jumper in an earlier game against Pasion De Amor in the Blue Haus-IT&E caging at the Navy Hill court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Barbo, who had scored 14 points when Red Rice’s game versus Eh Di Wow last Wednesday was suspended due to the unplayable court with his team ahead, 49-37, added 7 more markers to finish off their winless opponent. Red Rice got its first win after dropping its first two games, while Eh Di Wow’s losing skid was extended to four.

Mike Cabanas, Danray Hernandez, and Angelo Fernando backed Barbo up, as they combined for 34 points. Cabanas chipped in 15, while Hernandez also broke into double figures with his 11, and Fernando added 8. Arman Anasan and Joel Saplan were the other scorers for Red Rice, contributing 5 and 2, respectively.

As usual, Lerio Pagarao led Eh Di Wow’s another losing cause, as he fired 20 points and was the only double-figure scorer for his team.

With only Pagarao burning the hoops for Eh Di Wow, Red Rice managed to dominate the match right from the get-go as Barbo and company hit their marks early. Barbo scored 10 points in the first half, while Cabanas and Hernandez totaled for 15 to lift Red Rice to a 41-24 halftime advantage.

In the second half, Barbo managed to hit two more baskets, while Cabanas and Hernandez knocked in one field goal apiece before the game was halted at the 10:24 mark due to darkness.

Eh Di Wow outgunned Red Rice, 13-8, in the first nine minutes and change of the second half behind the 6 straight markers of Pagarao to move within 12. However, when the game resumed last weekend, it was still an all Pagarao show for Eh Di Wow, while Barbo matched his output and drew some help from other Red Rice players to barge into the win column.

Meanwhile, Red Rice played back-to-back games last Sunday, but its showdown against Hard Kulangot (2-1) was suspended due to the lack of light at the Navy Hill Court.

Hard Kulangot was clinging to a 1-point lead, 25-24, when the match was stopped at the 16:50 mark of the second half.

J.R. Barrios broke into double figures early, as he has scored 12 points to give Hard Kulangot a shaky lead. Fernando and Barbo kept Red Rice afloat, as they have tallied 11 and 9 markers, respectively.

The continuation of the Red Rice-Hard Kulangot tiff will be rescheduled once all nine teams have completed four games each, while action in the league will resume today with Makalaro Lang facing Oh My J at 5:30pm. Makalaro Lang is alone at the top spot of the team standings with its 3-0 record, while Oh My J has a 1-1 slate.

Red Rice 62 – Barbo 21, Cabanas 15, Hernandez 11, Fernando 8, Anasan 5, Saplan 2.

Eh Di Wow 54 – Pagarao 20, Santos 9, J. Reyes 7, Cortez 6, A. Reyes 6, Espinosa 4, Itaas 2.

Scoring by quarters: 41-21, 62-54.