Advance X-Terminators grab share of lead

Advance X-Terminators grabbed the share of the lead in the Inaugural FMI Inter-Color Basketball League after disposing of SMF Seabridge, 108-97, last Friday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

In the first game, GEC Pawnshop needed overtime to upend a tenacious Bank of Saipan team, 115-106, in the masters division and come within half a game of league-leader Taga Warriors.

Advance jumped all over the startled SMF Seabridge crew right from the get-go, establishing a 10-point lead, 31-21, after the first quarter led by the 14 combined points of Sonics teammates Jonathan Lim and Lerio Pagarao.

The advantage would double for the Bug-busters come the second quarter, as lead guard Andres “Jhun” Estolas Jr. got into the act, firing 11 points to stoke his team to a 60-31 margin at halftime.

Intermission had a cooling effect on Advance, as they gave up most of their lead to a rallying SMF Seabridge team in the third.

Led by Kevin Bernardo’s 10 points and another 17 from Meljhun Capalad and John Hugos, SMF Seabridge trimmed their deficit to 67-84 entering the fourth and final quarter.

SMF Seabridge kept their comeback going in the payoff period, as Bernardo poured in another 15 points, but timely hits from Pagarao, Estolas, and veteran swingman Melvin Villarin preserved the win for Advance.

Lim, Estolas, and Pagarao scored 22, 21, and 20 points, respectively, for Advance, while Bernardo pumped in a game-high 35 in a losing cause.

It was Advance’s seventh win in eight games to tie it with erstwhile solo leader Ol’Aces in the open division. The loss dropped SMF Seabridge to 3-4.

GEC Pawnshop, for its part, got eight overtime points from Molly Cacho as they outscored Bank of Saipan, 17-8, in the extra session to improve its win-loss mark to 5-2 in the masters division.

Cacho was the evening’s top scorer with 44 points, while Sonny Ranola and Amor Casabuena pumped in 28 and 23 more for GEC Pawnshop.

Bank of Saipan, which dropped to 3-4, was paced by the 28 markers of Sonny Ebuen and the 27 of outside gunner James Abuy.

First Game

GEC Pawnshop 115 – Cacho 44, Ranola 28, Casabuena 23, Olivos 16, Buenabajo 2, Peredo 2.

Bank of Saipan 106 – Ebuen 28, Abuy 27, Ocampo 14, Lopez 10, Darag 8, Villegas 5, Marasigan 2.

Scoring by quarters: 22-25, 49-57, 77-81, 98-98, 115-106 (OT).

Referees: Dado Vistal and Gilbert Espinosa.

Second Game

Advance X-Terminators 108 – Lim 22, Estolas 21, Pagarao 20, Villarin 16, Fitial 11, Ruluked 6, Mendoza 4, Gamboa 4, Dayrit 4.

SMF Seabridge 97 – Bernardo 35, Galvez 13, Capalad 12, Hugos 11, Mortos 10, Demegillo 8, Manansala 6, Siriban 2.

Scoring by quarters: 31-21, 60-39, 84-67, 108-97.

Referees: Michael White and Arnold Mesa.