Sonics, Ol’Aces down foes in youth league

The Sonics’ Jack Aranda is fouled by KFC’s Tristan Montes on his way to the basket during a boys U21 game in the BANMI youth caging early this month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

In the U21 game last Wednesday, the 670 Sonics cruised to a 73-55 victory, while in the U18 pairing last Thursday, the Ol’Aces nosed out Rollers B, 44-43.

The Ol’Aces prevailed in the battle of winless teams, thanks to the 3-pointer of Matthew Peter and a split from Dennis Moses. The duo’s clutch baskets allowed the Ol’Aces to snap their two-game losing skid, while handing the Rollers B its third straight loss.

The Rollers B-Ol’Aces tiff was a close fight right at the get-go with the former holding on to a 4-point cushion at the end of the first period, 10-6. Five different players scored for the Ol’Aces in the opening canto, while only two hit the board for the Rollers B.

The Rollers B then picked up its scoring a bit in the second period, however the Ol’Aces matched the former’s 12 markers to keep the upper hand at halftime, 22-18. Tables turned in the third with the Rollers B scoring a baker’s dozen against the seven of the Ol’Aces, helping the former steal the driver’ seat, 31-29.

The opposing teams neck-and-neck battle continued in the fourth with the Ol’Aces escaping with the one-point victory after Peter and Moses delivered in the homestretch and five of their teammates also contributed early in the final canto. Peter paced the Ol’Aces with his 8 points, while Aaron Ogumoro paced the Rollers B with his 16 markers.

In the U21 pairing, the Sonics bounced back from a sluggish start and dominated the G-Rollers in the second half en route to the 18-point victory.

The Sonics faced an early double-digit deficit in the first period, 10-20, as they failed to neutralize Prince Factor, who scored 9 markers in the first frame. Factor nearly duplicated the number of field goals the Sonics made to threaten an upset against the second-running team.

Factor was still on fire in the second period, but Jack Aranda and Sean Rabasto were there for the Sonics to trade baskets with the G-Rollers gunner and move the team within three at halftime, 31-34.

Emerson Feria and Melvin Cadiang took over from Rabasto and Aranda in the third, hitting baskets in streak as the Sonics grabbed the lead, 52-46. Feria nailed 6 straight points midway in the third, while Cadiang logged 5 of the Sonics’ last 6 markers in that period.

The Sonics never relinquished the lead from thereon and even stretched the advantage to as much as 20, as they held Factor to 2 points in the fourth and the entire G-Rollers crew to four field goals.

WEDNESDAY
Sonics 73 – Rabasto 13, Aranda 11, Feria 11, Villanueva 8, Cadiang 7, Dela Rosa 7, Palacios 5, De Guzman 5, Flores 2.

G-Rollers 55 – Factor 19, Arciaga 12, Babauta 6, Nakayama 5, Malonzo 4, R. Deleon Guerrero 3, Capuyon 2.

Scoring by quarters: 10-20, 31-34, 52-46, 73-55.

THURSDAY
Ol’Aces 44 – Peter 8, Ermitanio 6, Borja 6, Moses 4, Olopai 4, Laniyo 4, Gilles 3, Kabiriel 2, Abobo 2, Cristobal 2, .

Rollers B 43 – Ogumoro 16, Tengco 8, Hahn 6, Arceo 5, Fejeran 3, Factor 2, De Leon 1.

Scoring by quarters: 10-6, 22-18, 29-31, 44-43.