TanHoldings 1 crushes GPPC in opener

TanHoldings 1’s Matt Duenas, left, pulls up for an open jumper, while his teammate Ernest Duenas, center, and GPPC’s Alex Ocampo get ready for the rebound during the fourth quarter of the opening game in the JEM/Mobil caging yesterday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

TanHoldings 1 is now the early favorite in the 2017 JEM Company Ltd./Mobil Customer Appreciation Basketball League following its demolition of GPPC, 118-63, during the opening game yesterday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

TanHoldings 1 established an early double-digit lead after the first period and showed no mercy against the hapless GPPC in the next three quarters en route to a 55-point winning margin.

Five TanHoldings 1 players scored in twin digits in their rout of GPPC with Douglas Schmidt leading the way with his 26 points. Ernest Duenas chipped in 21, while his cousin Matt and Jarett Matsutaro contributed 16 each, and Dindo Pablo finished with 14.

Schmidt made his presence felt in the game right from the get-go as he knocked in 6 of TanHoldings 1’s first 8 points. He went on to tally 7 markers, while his six other teammates also hit the board in the opening canto, lifting TanHoldings 1 to a promising 27-13 advantage.

Schmidt and company kept pressing in the last three quarters to pad their lead. TanHoldings 1 was so merciless that its fourth-quarter output was more than the entire production of GPPC in the second half, 39-38.

Ernest Duenas made the exclamation in TanHoldings 1’s game-long domination by hitting a corner triple at the buzzer. Duenas helped TanHoldings 1 deliver the killer blows in the fourth, as he recorded 11 of his total markers in the final canto. Bart Demapan also came out in the fourth frame, scoring all his 9 points in that period.

Alex Ocampo had 20 markers to pace GPPC’s losing cause, while Randy Mungcal added 18.

GPPC and TanHoldings 1 are in Pool A of the 16-team league, joining Docomo Pacific, McDonald’s, Joeten, Best Deal/RNV Construction, Triple J, and CUC. Pool B has TanHoldings 2, KB Construction, Westco, Coca-Cola/Subway, Mariana Resort, Mobil/COAG, Top Development, Inc., and Star Water.

Teams will play the squads in their group once for the elimination round, while the playoffs will be a crossover format between Pool A and B participants.

Three more matches took place on opening day and results will be reported this week.

TanHoldings 118 – Schmidt 26, E. Duenas 21, M. Duenas 16, Matsutaro 16, Pablo 14, Demapan 9, Quizon 8, Esdrelon 3.

GPPC 63 – Ocampo 20, Mungcal 18, Santos 14, M. Tagle 4, R. Tagle 4.

Scoring by quarters: 27-13, 50-25, 79-46, 118-63.