Verizon wins 40-and-over league
Verizon put a screeching halt to Old Aces’ miracle run to capture the championship of the 40-and-over Masters Basketball League Tuesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
The defending champs got bye with their reserves most of the first half, then, with the help of fleet-footed guard Frank Iglecias and the insertion of starters Ed Cosino and Doc Brostrom, ran away with the title with plenty to spare in the second.
Verizon put Old Aces in their proper place right from the opening tip. Iglecias ran the show from the point guard spot and fed reserve bigs Jack Palacios and Tim Paez for easy buckets inside.
Old Aces were only lucky to narrow the gap to 20-22 at the end of the first quarter, after spitfire Tony Luzama was able to knock it down from the perimeter.
In the second, Verizon carried on its brisk pace with Palacios again leading the charge. In one play, the 5’11” power forward corralled a rebound and dribbled coast-to-coast before laying it softly off the board for 2 points.
Cosino also came alive in the period. In typical fashion the 6’3” slotman barreled his way inside mocking all defenders as Verizon entered intermission on top by 9 points, 48-39.
Old Aces would not fare better even after the 10-minute break. Veteran gunslinger Dado Vistal leaked out on fastbreak plays to score easy baskets and Iglecias broke down Old Aces’ halfcourt defense with opportunistic drives to the basket.
But everything was not lost for the league’s comeback kids. After Verizon took its biggest lead, 60-45, with 3:30 left in the period, Old Aces fought back behind swingman Leo Ruluked and sliced the deficit down to 9 points with a quarter to go in the ballgame.
Playing-coach Tony Sablan was beside himself after Verizon let a golden opportunity to make the outcome of the game beyond reach slip by in the third.
But Sablan was cheering again as his team picked their game up several notches at the start of the fourth. With Iglecias taking the fight to Old Aces’ guards, Verizon would reestablish its 15-point advantage with six minutes left.
Old Aces was far from finish, however. Rangamar and Luzama forced back-to-back-to-back turnovers on Verizon’s ball handlers to allow themselves to creep back at the game, 87-78, with time down to a little over three minutes.
But in the ensuing Verizon possession, Brostrom made what could be the play of the game when he hit the bottom of the net on a side jumper from 18 feet.
The 6’4” former NCAA Division II player’s heroics sucked the life out of Old Aces’ comeback and Verizon went on to win the game convincingly.
Iglecias seemed to be a man possessed in the ballgame finishing with 26 points. He led three other Verizon players in double figures (Vistal 18, Palacios 17, and Cosino 13).
Ruluked played magnificently in a losing cause with 20 markers, while Luzama and Rangamar added 18 and 17 points, respectively.
Verizon 97 – Iglecias 26, Vistal 18, J. Palacios 17, Cosino 13, Paez 6, Bicera 6, Brostrom 5, F. Palacios 2.
Old Aces 85 – Ruluked 20, Luzama 18, Rangamar 17, Yamada 15, Camacho 6, Celis 4, Salas 4.
Scoring by quarters: 22-20, 48-39, 70-61, 97-85.
