Fire Dawgs nips Lawmakers, Tinian stomps Customs

CPA-ARFF Fire Dawgs leaned on the late heroics of Jawn Joyner to edge Legislature Lawmakers, while Tinian roared past a listless Customs Inspectors team Tuesday night in the 2006 Inter-Government Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Seeing action in the opener, the Fire Dawgs went down early and had to rally in the second half to pull off a come-from-behind 84-83 win against a quick-starting Legislature five.

Pint-sized playmaker Ray Duenas was on fire early and often and clustered 10 points to give the Lawmakers a 26-16 lead after the first quarter.

Duenas, who coaches IVYBL co-frontrunner Sixers I, was again unstoppable in the second half, bettering his first-quarter performance by a point as Legislature extended their lead to 51-37 at the break.

The 10-minute halftime lull appeared to have shaken the cobwebs off the Fire Dawgs, as the CPA team began the third quarter with more resolve and little by little gnawed at the Lawmakers’ once-imposing lead.

Joyner stood the tallest in ARFF’s third-quarter resurrection, as the 6’1” pivot strung together eight points to trim the Lawmakers’ advantage to a mere point, 64-65, going into the last 10 minutes of the match.

Duenas, however, was not about to give up the fight and bounced back from a mediocre five-point third quarter by exploding for 12 in the payoff period.

The Fire Dawgs, however, had more bite on their collective bark and a clutch 3-pointer and a lone free throw by Joyner eventually allowed them to salvage the one-point victory.

Joyner and Carlos Torres paced ARFF with 30 and 17 points, while Duenas came away with a game-high 38 markers to lead Legislature.

The win upped CPA’s record to 5-3, while the loss dropped Legislature to 3-5 in the win-loss standings.

Unlike ARFF’s scrambling victory, Tinian literally had a stroll in the park in the second game, as it clobbered Customs 106-60.

In earning its fifth win in eight games, the boys from the south got 29 points from Joe Reyes and 27 points from Ton Borja. Customs, which has yet to break into the win column after eight games, was paced by the 23 of Antonio Iguel.

First Game
ARFF 84 – Joyner 30, Torres 17, Camacho 13, Sanchez 6, R. Sablan 6, Malwelbug 2, C. Sablan 4, Uchel 2, Cepeda 2, Muna 2.
Legislature 83 – Duenas 38, Frank 23, Mendiola 12, Cabrera 6, Camacho 2, Olaitaman 2.
Scoring by quarters: 16-16, 51-37, 65-64, 84-83.
Referees: Dado Vistal and Eric Artillaga.

Second Game
Tinian 106 – Reyes 29, Borja 27, Manglona 17, Lizama 10, Manibusan 8, J. Santos 7, Cabay 6, Ju. Santos 2.
Customs 60 – Iguel 23, Santos 18, Reyes 10, Lizama 9.
Scoring by quarters: 31-14, 57-33, 76-46, 106-60.
Referees: Dado Vistal and Noel Delos Santos.