Dollar Days keeps clean slate, Inchcape recovers

Dollar Days prevailed in the battle of unbeaten teams in the 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League after clobbering Docomo, 120-94, Saturday night at the CIC Centre Basketball Court in Garapan.

What was expected as a close match between two teams that won their first four games turned into a one-sided affair with Dollar Days sealing the victory as early as in the first quarter after capitalizing on the depleted lineup of Docomo.

Docomo played without leading scorer Ponce Rasa and key defenders of the team, allowing Dollar Days to control the game en route to the latter’s fifth win in as many games.

Wowie Abuel was the star of Dollar Days’ show in the first quarter drilling three triples and finishing with 13 points in that canto. Ivan De Vero had eight, while Kae Bernardo and Bogs Pangilinan chipped in six each, giving Dollar Days a comfortable 35-14 lead.

Dollar Days starters spent the second quarter on the bench, but second stringers Jun Pantaleon, Bon Tamayo, and Bart Demapan carried the cudgels for the team to overcome Ryan Sanciangco’s 14-point explosion in that canto and maintain Dollar Days’ big lead at halftime, 62-34.

Sanciangco continued to pile up points in the second half adding 14 more in the third period, but he had only Gilbert Miranda helping him in trying to bail Docomo out of trouble. Miranda had eight points in the third, while the rest of Docomo players on the playing court made only one basket apiece.

A well-rested Abuel returned in the third quarter and canned three more triples, while Bernardo asserted his might against Docomo’s defense or the lack of it, and tallied 10. Bernardo and Demapan, who scored six more points in the third period, were dominant forces inside, as known inside defenders Mel Manibusan and James Lee were not there to push the two Dollar Days frontliners out of their comfort zone.

At the end of the third period, Dollar Days almost reached the century mark and still enjoyed a huge lead, 99-62, entering the final 10 minutes of the game.

The fourth quarter saw Dollar Days wisely wining down the clock and giving its bench more playing time, while Docomo continued to rely on Sanciangco, who alone could not lift his team to a miraculous win.

With its 26-point triumph, Dollar Days now holds the solo lead in the 12-team field, ahead by a victory over RBC Rollers (4-0). Docomo dropped to a 4-1 record for third place.

In the first game, Inchcape snapped its two-game losing skid after outclassing the San Antonio Shooters, 101-99.

Inchcape improved to a 2-3 record, while the Shooters absorbed their fourth loss in as many games.

Inchcape drew double figures from five players with big man Marlon De Dios leading his team with 21 points. Noel Puno had 13, while Amor Casabuena and Sonny Ranola made 11 apiece.

Jun Tabora paced the Shooters with 43 points.
[B] First Game

Inchcape 101[/B] – De Dios 21, Puno 16, Mendiola 13, Casabuena 11, Ranola 11, Tobias 9, Olivos 8, Rebuyon 8, Buenabajo 4.
[B] Shooters 99[/B] – J. Tabora 43, Mangali 14, D. Tabora 11, Caranto 10, Guellas 5, Galulu 4, Ancheta 4, Zapata 2, Feliciano 2.

Scoring by quarters: 22-15, 52-43, 89-79, 101-99.
[B] Second Game

Dollar Days 120[/B] – Abuel 27, Pantaleon 18, Bernardo 17, Demapan 16, Galves 10, De Vero 9, Tamayo 8, Tangcoy 8, Pangilinan 6.
[B] Docomo 94[/B] – Ry. Sanciangco 50, Miranda 18, Cultura 11, Hamoy 9, Echavez 4, Ro. Sanciangco 4.