Anheuser downs O’Duols, Hoopholics win

Anheuser-8 3’s Construction survived a late-game 3-point barrage by O’Duols-Ol’Aces, while Bud Ice-Hoopaholics routed Michelob-Brothers in Wednesday night’s 2005 Budweiser Cup BANMI Men’s Island-wide Basketball League doubleheader at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Seeing action in the first game, Anheuser broke away from a tight contest at the start of the fourth quarter but still had to scramble at the endgame for a 96-93 win against a determined Ol’Aces team, which suited up only six players.

Both teams were evenly matched in the first half as Anheuser led by only a point after the opening quarter, 26-25, and Ol’Aces managed to knot it all up at 45-all at the break.

Anheuser, however, began to capitalize on its height and heft advantage in the third quarter and managed to create some space between them and Ol’Aces.

With swingmen Errol Peredo and Kevin Cequena burning the hoops from outside and leaking for fastbreak opportunities and big men Dalewin Cortez and Marlon De Dios dominating the inside, Anheuser was able to erect a nine-point spread, 72-63, heading into the fourth and final quarter.

The start of the fourth would bring more of the same for the Tony Sablan-coached team as Anheuser continued to pile up the points against the dog-tired Ol’Aces quintet.

Leo Factor typified Anheuser’s strength in the payoff period, as the power forward let loose a barrage of points to give his team a 15-point spread with a couple of minutes left in the contest.

But just when everyone in the gym was ready to write off Ol’Aces, guard Shan Seman, center Jack Lizama, and forward Mel Tagabuel struck hard from the land of last resort, connecting on six 3-point baskets to trim the lead to as low as three points.

Foul trouble and exhaustion, which left Ol’Aces with only four players on the court, ultimately spelled doom for the team, allowing Anheuser to escape with the win.

Factor’s 20 points led Anheuser. Cequena, Cortez, and Jorge De Guzman also banged in twin digits for the now 3-3 team.

Tagabuel paced Ol’Aces with 27 points, while Seman, Lizama, Dexter Dilay, and Pete Iguel tossed in 12 or more points. The loss dropped Ol’Aces to 2-5 in the win-loss column.

In the second game, former Sixers teammates James Villacrusis and John Sablan scored 16 points apiece to lead Hoopholics to an 81-61 win against Brothers.

The victory was the fourth in five games for Bud Ice, while the loss dropped Brothers to 3-2 in the team standings. Michelob was led by the 21 markers of all-around player Ed Diaz and the 14 of older brother Tony.

First Game
Anheuser-8 3’s Const. 96 – Factor 20, Cequena 18, Cortez 13, De Guzman 11, Peredo 8, Barbo 8, Muleta 7, De Dios 6, Artates 5.
O’Duols-Ol’Aces 93 – Tagabuel 27, Seman 20, Lizama 18, Dilay 14, P. Iguel 12, L. Iguel 2.
Scoring by quarters: 26-25, 45-45, 72-63, 96-93.
Referees: Dado Vistal and Noel Delos Santos.

Second Game
Bud Ice-Hoopaholics 81 – Villacrusis 16, Jo. Sablan 16, Je. Sablan 13, Amado 12, Garcia 8, Manibusan 7, Awes 6, Diaz 3.
Michelob-Brothers 61 – E. Diaz 21, T. Diaz 14, Sablan 9, Calvo 6, Reyes 4, Hocog 3, Mendoza 2, Ayuyu 2.
Scoring by quarters: 23-17, 38-31, 60-44, 81-61.
Referees: Arnold Mesa and Jess Pacheco.