Party Rockers widen lead in women’s league

Party Rockers stretched their lead to three wins in the 2011 BANMI Women’s Summer Basketball League after defeating Mix-A-Lot, 55-48, in a make-up game at the TSL Sports Complex Tuesday night.

Jeraldine Castillo led Party Rockers’ sixth win in seven games, as she sizzled for 22 points, with 15 of them coming from downtown. Her fifth triple of the night came in the crucial stage of the match and was followed by a two-pointer, allowing Party Rockers to eke out a seven-point win. Castillo scored Party Rockers’ last five points.

Melody Johnson also delivered for Party Rockers with her 18 points, making 12 of them in the second half where her team played better after engaging Mix-A-Lot in a tight match in the first half.

The first 20 minutes of play ended in a deadlock, 24-all. Mix-A-Lot managed to stay in the game in the first half behind Lalaine Pagarao’s 13 points and Madeleine Alegre’s eight markers.

Alegre continued to pile up points early in the second half, scoring Mix-A-Lot’s first six appoints. However, Johnson answered with also six of Party Rockers’ first 10 points in that period to keep the game close.

Then midway in the second half, Castillo hit back-to-back triples, while Johnson added six more points to keep Party Rockers in the lead.

Pagarao, who exploded for 53 points in their 63-70 loss to the Lazy Buttsss last Monday, slowed down in the second half of their match over Party Rockers, nailing only eight points. Alegre also went cold, as she was held to only two field goals after drilling six straight markers at the start of the second half.

Mix-A-Lot dropped to a 3-4 record, sharing the second spot with Aye Par Battay and behind by three wins over the league-leading Party Rockers.

The Lazy Buttsss is slowly catching up in the group, as it now has a 2-5 record with two games left in the three-round robin competition. The Lazy Buttsss won over Aye Par Battay, 77-66, last Friday, for its first win. Then last Monday, the Lazy Buttsss gained its second straight victory after topping Mix-A-Lot.

Ira Palero anchored Lazy Buttsss’ win over Aye Par Battay, firing 27 points. She logged 15 of then in the first half to lift the Lazy Buttsss to a big 42-25 lead. The Lazy Buttsss did a great job protecting the driver’s seat in the second half, as Daylinne Joseph, Elilai Pialug, and Marie Javie also stepped up on offense.

The regular season of the women’s league are expected to be completed this week and organizers will meet today to discuss the format for the playoffs.

Lazy Buttsss 77 – Palero 27, Joseph 14, Javier 10, Pialug 10, Lizardo 8, David 4.
Aye Par Battay 66 – Castillo 21, Palero 21, Arboliras 14, A. Ito 10.

Scoring by halves: 42-25, 77-66.

Party Rockers 55 – Castillo 22, Johnson 18, Ito 8, Gozon 2, Lebria 2, Abrams 2.
Mix-A-Lot 48 – Pagarao 20, Alegre 18, Mesa 4, Hofschneider 4, Palacios 2.
Scoring by halves: 24-24, 55-48.