Legends, Bourbon escape with wins in B division caging

Team Legends and Bourbon Bar & Grill beat their opponents in the Pacific Saipan Inc. Promo Invitational Basketball League by the skin of their teeth last Tuesday at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

In the first game, Team Legends squeaked past Maplas, 58-57, after Ronald Rueda missed two free throws in the dying seconds that would’ve given his team the lead.

Before that Maplas virtually led a tight game against Team Legends with Rueda spearheading their campaign.

Maplas had a 3-point lead after the opening quarter, 16-13, and rested at halftime clinging to a 2-point lead, 32-30. They would add another basket to their advantage at the end of the third, 44-40.

“Smoking” Jun Tabora, however, had other plans and scattered 6 of his game-high 23 points to help Team Legends rally in the end to edge Maplas.

Jimboy Tabora paced his uncle with 17 points in the low-scoring contest for the now league-leading 5-1 team.

The 19 points of Rueda and 8 markers of Rommel Usi led Maplas, which dropped to 4-2.

And speaking of low-scoring games, Bourbon Bar & Grill and Guardians totaled a lesser total in the second game that nearly followed the same script as the first game.

Bourbon Bar & Grill led Guardians after each quarter, taking a 13-12 advantage after the first 10 minutes of play and 23-21 at intermission.

Jaypee Jose then fired 6 of his 10 points in the third quarter to suddenly give Bourbon Bar & Grill a relatively comfortable 41-34 lead heading into the payoff period.

Guardians, however, made a game of it in the fourth and final quarter as Darwin Gonzales and Erwin Lumanlan combined for 11 points.

Luckily for Bourbon Bar & Grill, Paul John Manansala came to the rescue with the marginal basket allowing them to escape with the 2-point victory.

Marlon Binuya and July Narciso top-scored for Bourbon Bar & Grill with 12 and 11 markers, respectively. Guardians, which dropped to 4-2 in a tie with their conquerors, had Manuel Gatbonton and Jerome Directo lead the way with 11 points apiece.

First Game

Team Legends 58 – Ju. Tabora 23, Ji. Tabora 17, Tibayan 7, Ege 5, Zapata 3, Ebuen 2, Discartin 2.

Maplas 57 – Rueda 19, Usi 9, Odicta 8, Ma. Tagle 4, Claveria 3, Castro 2, Austria 2, Mo. Tagle 2.

Scoring by quarters: 13-16, 30-32, 40-44, 58-57.

Second Game

Bourbon Bar & Grill 53 – Binuya 12, Narciso 11, Jose 10, Manansala 6, Gragasin 4, Guinhawa 4, Vallo 4, Francisco 2.

Guardians 51 – Gatbonton 11, Directo 11, Gonzales 8, Didulo 7, Lumanlan 5, Agbanlog 4, Dela Cruz 2, Peredo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 13-12, 23-21, 41-34, 53-51.