Toyota, Wells Fargo keep streaks alive

Bud Light-Toyota won its seventh straight, while Budweiser-Wells Fargo fell to its eight consecutive loss as the second round of the 2005 Budweiser Cup BANMI Men’s Island-wide Basketball League kicked off Wednesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Toyota exacted sweet revenge on first round tormentor Michelob-Brothers, as the defending champions walloped their rivals 128-109 in the first game.

Brothers, the same team Toyota faced in last year’s finals, actually gave a good fight in the early goings and even managed to lead 27-25 after the first 10 minutes and trailed by only a deuce, 63-61, at the halftime break.

But Toyota began to shift it into high gear beginning in the second half, as gunners Taj Van Buren and Elias Saralu heated the net.

Brothers were also beginning to feel the ill effects of a short bench, which Toyota was more than willing to capitalize.

The defending champs eventually outscored Brothers, 31-11, in the third to take a 94-72 spread heading into the fourth and final quarter.

Romeo Iginoef and Echo Company member Peter Camacho then finished strong for Toyota, giving them their patented inside-outside game in the fourth, as the team went on to win the ballgame by a whopping 19 points.

Van Buren and Saralu led a balanced Toyota attack with 35 and 28 points, respectively. Ed Diaz’s 43 and Dave Sablan’s 28 markers led Brothers, which record dropped to 4-4.

In the second game, Toyota’s sister team, O’Duols-Ol’Aces, improved their win-loss mark to 3-5 after routing Budweiser-Wells Fargo 110-91.

It was all Ol’Aces from the get-go as they led after all three quarters before holding off Wells Fargo’s repeated comeback attempts in the fourth and final quarter and won also by 19 points.

Center Jack Lizama spearheaded the Ol’Aces’ charge with 27 points, while Dan Barcinas and Rowell Aranda backed him up with 22 and 18 points, respectively.

Ben Sablan continued his impeccable shooting and came away with 26 points. Gus Palacios and Joe Villacrusis also added 21 and 17 in the loss, which was the team’s eight in as many outings.

First Game
Bud Light-Toyota 128 – Van Buren 35, Saralu 28, Iginoef 20, Peter 11, Rangamar 11, Celes 9, Renguul 8, P. Camacho 7.
Michelob-Brothers 109 – E. Diaz 43, D. Sablan 28, Hocog 14, M. Sablan 9, Calvo 7, T. Diaz 5, Reyes 4, Mendiola 4.
Scoring by quarters: 25-27, 63-61, 94-72, 128-109.
Referees: Jess Pacheco and Noel Delos Santos.

Second Game
O’Duols-Ol’Aces 110 – Lizama 27, Barcinas 22, Aranda 18, Dillay 13, Seman 11, L. Iguel 6, Kapileo 3, Ogumoro 3.
Budweiser-Wells Fargo 91 – Sablan 25, G. Palacios 21, Villacrusis 17, Ja. Palacios 14, Jo. Palacios 13, Henry 2.
Scoring by quarters: 26-16, 58-38, 82-67, 110-91.
Referees: Dado Vistal and Arnold Mesa.