Jollibee grounds LSG Sky Chefs

There is no 10-run mercy rule in basketball but the Jollibee Stingers came close to exacting that to LSG Sky Chefs early Saturday morning in the 2004 Inter-Restaurant Basketball League.

With still plenty to go in the payoff period and Jollibee ahead by a ton, 66-41, the skies opened up at the Garapan court forcing action to stop. But the Sky Chefs already had enough and just conceded the game.

The Stingers got off to a rip-roaring start. Led by high-leaping Ronnel Gamboa and playmaker Donnel Isip, the fastfood kings went up by a baker’s dozen, 23-10, after the opening quarter.

Jollibee continued to be aggressive even with their second stringers getting the lion’s share of the minutes in the second quarter. LSG, meanwhile, flubbed open shots and turned the ball over and the Stingers were more than happy to parlay it to easy fastbreak points.

After the first 20 minutes of play, Jollibee was on top by 16 points, 37-21.

Sky Chefs started to chip away at the lead in the early parts of the third with swingman Ed Yalung leading the way. But the fastfood kings would regroup quickly and led again by their starters, entered the fourth and final quarter with a commanding 52-33 advantage.

With the first drops of rain threatening, Jollibee began the fourth with a mini-run that almost knocked off the Sky Chefs, who were bleeding for every point.

Gamboa reverted to his first-quarter form and mocked LSG’s defense to score 8 points. Center Edwil Reyes also came alive in the fourth to push Jollibee’s lead to more than 20 points.

Jollibee’s attack would finally come to a grinding halt at the 5:24 mark of the game when rain mercifully interfered and spared LSG’s from falling further against the red-hot Stingers.

Gamboa paced all scorers with 21 points and had 4 steals, while Reyes added 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals for Jollibee. Yalung top-scored for Sky Chefs with 19 points. No other LSG player logged more than 4 points in the game.

Jollibee feasted on LSG’s passing lanes all game long and came away with a total of 21 steals.

In the 3-point shootout held during halftime, Jollibee reserve point guard Omar Ajoste drilled the final 3-ball from the corner to beat Rodrigo Sanggalang, 4-1.

The 2004 Inter-Restaurant Basketball League resumes tonight with Country House taking on El Segundo. Tip-off starts promptly at 11pm.

Jollibee 66 – Gamboa 21, Reyes 14, Isip 8, Manlapaz 7, Dulog 4, Santos 4, Reolope 2, Marcelo 2, Yumul 2, Lontoc 1, Dela Mesa 1.

LSG Sky Chefs 41 – Yalung 19, Sanggalang 4, Guinto 3, Del Rosario 2, Reganit 2, Redor 2, Reyles 2.

Scoring by quarters: 23-10, 37-21, 52-33, 66-41.