Defending champs start playoffs with a bang

Defending 35-and-over Masters Basketball League champion Old Aces kicked off its playoff campaign on a high note, beating a shorthanded Legends team, 75-57, in Friday’s lone match at the NMC Gymnasium.

The fourth-ranked Legends were at a disadvantage right from the start as only six of its players showed up for the game.

Be as is it may, the Chalan Kanoa-based team didn’t hand the game in a silver platter to the fifth-ranked Old Aces and even managed to lead after the opening quarter, 17-16, and at the half, 30-29.

Greg Koebel and George Villasan paced the Legends’ gallant effort in the first 20 minutes, unloading 10 and eight points, respectively.

But like all good things, the Legends’ upset hopes came to and end at the start of the third, as the Olds Aces players kicked up their game several notches and proceeded to takeover the match.

With former national players Tony Luzama and Elias Rangamar and stocky swingman Mike Majors heating up the net and combining for 24 of the team’s 30-point output in the third, Old Aces turned a 1-point deficit into a 59-34 spread going into the fourth and final quarter.

It was pretty much garbage time as the final 10 minutes of the ballgame was played with both teams just waiting for the final score to be settled.

Luzama and Majors were the high-point men for Old Aces with 19 and 15 markers, respectively, while Koebel, Villasan, and Joe Pangelinan each knocked in 15 points for the Legends.

The first game pitting third-ranked Verizon against sixth-ranked Natibu was rescheduled to this Friday, Sept. 23, 6:30pm. It would be followed by the 45-and-over match between No.2 Pepsi and No. 3 Legends, set at 8pm. Both games will be played at the NMC Gym.

The 35-and-over league has adopted a double-round elimination format for the playoffs, which means teams would have to lose twice to be considered out of the playoffs. The playoffs of the 45-and-over MBL, meanwhile, are a single-round affair with all matches being do-or-die varieties.

Old Aces 75 – Luzama 19, Majors 15, Thompson 9, Renguur 8, Frink 8, Rangamar 7, Coleman 4, Tomokane 3.

Legends 57 – Koebel 15, Villasan 15, Pangelinan 15, Miday 12.

Scoring by quarters: 16-17, 29-30, 59-34, 75-57.

Referees: Arnold Mesa and Rick Alegre.