Cabalen outlasts Negros in OT
Cabalen Servicestar kept pace with league-leader Visminda with a hard-earned 90-87 overtime win against CMS-Negros in the Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense Basketball League Wednesday night at the CMS Court.
In a make-up game of their match originally set earlier this month, Negros waxed hot in the first half and entered lemon time with a comfortable 40-24 advantage.
Led by the solid play of high-leaping guard Martin Moreno, the CMS-backed squad grabbed a 17-14 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
After 6 points in the first, Moreno would further ignite the Negrenses’ offense in the second canto by scoring 10 more markers in the second to help his squad to the 16-point margin at the break.
Cabalen however would start to rally in the third quarter. With swingman Randy Arnedo at the firing end, the Kapampangans managed to trim Negros’ lead to just 6 points, 53-47, going into the fourth and final quarter of the game.
The 5-foot-10 Arnedo fired 10 of his game-high 21 points during the period.
It was a virtual dogfight in the last 10 minutes of action as Negros tried desperately to keep its head above water, while Cabalen fought mightily to carve a come-from-behind win.
Moreno’s offensive firepower was noticeably absent in the second half, accounting for only 4 points. But center Tim Paez took over the slack scoring 8 points during the same stretch.
At the end, both teams needed an extra 5 minutes to settle the contest as regulation ended in a 74-all tie.
In overtime, Cabalen and Negros exchanged their heaviest bombs before Allan Batac and Gary Rapanut took over the game and lead the YCO-sponsored club to its fifth win in six games.
Batac and Rapanut scored all but 4 of Cabalen’s16 points in the extra period as Cabalen remained just half a game behind league-leader Visminda in the standings.
The game saw five Cabalen players finishing in double figures with Arnedo, Batac, Rapanut, George Barbo and Joseph Gatdula scoring 11 points or more each.
Negros, which out-rebounded Cabalen 29-17, was led by Moreno’s 20 and Paez’s 18 markers. Center Jimmy Salazar also collected 7 points and 13 rebounds in a losing cause.
The SIP league resumes tonight with THC Jollibee facing SMF-Shell in the opener and Kiosk-San Roque meeting Bicol in the second game.
Sunday’s game will then feature CMS Negros and THC Jollibee in the first game to be followed by the SMF-Shell and Cabalen encounter in the nightcap.
Cabalen Servicetsar 90 – Arnedo 21, Barbo 18, Rapanut 16, Batac 16, Gatdula 11, Alipio 8.
CMS-Negros 87 – Martin 20, Paez 18, Laitan 15, Catayong 14, Macoto 13, Salazar 7.
