670 Rollers teams debut strong

The 670 Rollers 1 and 2 teams started their campaign strong in the U17 division of the 2nd Annual SMEC-SMLEG Invitational Basketball Tournament 2024 last Sunday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Rollers 2 beat Café Meraki-Sophia Althea, 50-43. For this game, full names weren’t given by organizers.

It was a close matchup with both teams unable to pull away in the first half. Missed opportunities from both ends because of strong defense made it a low scoring one, but Café Meraki-Sophia Althea had a 3-point advantage at the end of the half, 17-14, thanks to the efforts of Sanchez and Ibarola.

However, the lead seesawed between the two as the game progressed. The Rollers seemed to have found their rhythm and were making their shots, while Café Meraki-Sophia Althea appeared to stumble.

The Rollers’ Slymark Defang and Marc Tengco became the dynamic duo that they needed and went on to lead the team to their 7-point win. Café Meraki-Sophia Althea’s Ibarola, Sanchez, and Tibayan attempted to keep the game close, which they did, but the Rollers stuck it out and came out with the win in nail-biting fashion towards the end.

Defang led the game with 20 points, while Tengco scored 15. For Café Meraki-Sophia Althea, Ibarola led with 15, while Sanchez put up 12.

Then, Rollers 1 defeated Triple R Auto Parts, 60-54.

Both teams were evenly matched as well as they made it rain buckets in the first half. The lead teetered back-and-forth as their offenses were one fire. At the end of the first half, Rollers 1 hung on to just a 2-point lead, 26-24.

The second half saw both teams giving it their all, but Rollers 1’s K. Helgen, J.P. Pineda, and C. Enriquez were a trio that not only put up numbers, but flashed it off on defense too. Toward the end, Triple R Auto Parts’ C. Lucero, J. Navarro, M. Peters, and I. Quizon came up short as Rollers 1 took it all the way home with a six-point deficit win, 60-54.

Helgen led the Rollers with 18, Pineda contributed with 17, and Enriquez had 13 markers. Lucero had a game-high 22 points, while Navarro scored 11, and Peters and Quizon put up twin eight points.

670 Rollers 2 50 – S. Defang 20, Tengco 15, Addy 6, Paul 6, Matsumoto 2, J. Defang 1.

Café Meraki-Sophia Althea 43 – Ibarola 15, Sanchez 12, Tibayan 9, Esdrelon 3, Garcia 2, Palacios 2.

Scoring by halves: 14-17, 50-43.

670 Rollers 1 60 – Helgen 18, J.P. Pineda 17, Enriquez 13, Defang 4, Norech 2, J. Pineda 2.

Triple R Auto Parts 54 – Lucero 22, Navarro 11, Peters 8, Quizon 8, Ragbonshe 3, J. Lucero 2.

Scoring by halves: 26-24, 60-54.