G4S keeps perfect record, Fiesta wins again

G4S cruised to its third straight win in as many games to keep the lead in the Inaugural Shirley’s Coffee Shop Invitational Basketball League.

G4S defeated host Shirley’s, 87-78, Friday night at the JP Center Basketball Court in Garapan to remain unbeaten in the six-team tournament.

In the first game, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan is also on a streak after whipping Advanced X-Terminators, 96-71. Fiesta won its last two games after bowing to G4S in its debut, 60-84. The X-Terminators, which topped Shirley’s in their first game, 96-92, dropped to a 1-1 slate.

Junar Guiab and Manolito Basa teamed up in giving G4S a clean slate, firing 24 and 19 points, respectively.

Guiab made eight first-quarter points, while Basa chipped in six, as G4S took a 24-17 lead after 10 minutes of play. Guiab and the rest of G4S players slowed down in the second canto, but Shirley’s failed to make headway either in that period, helping G4S keep a 39-33 halftime lead.

Guiab and Basa buckled down to work in the third, making 10 points apiece to widen the gap, 68-53, entering the fourth period. Guiab picked up where he left off in the fourth, adding six more points, while Nat Banatasa nailed seven of his 13 points in the final period to keep the win.

Jersh Angeles led Shirley’s losing cause with his 16 points. Fradel Sedillo and Jess Nicdao contributed 15 and 11 markers, respectively.

In the first game, Elmer Esdrelon connected on six triples to power Fiesta to an easy win.

Esdrelon top-scored for Fiesta with 32 points and drew help from Jon March Ong, who tallied 22 points.

Ong exploded for 14 points in the first quarter and lifted Fiesta to a 28-17 lead. Esdrelon took over from Ong in the second period, notching 15 markers, as Fiesta went to its bench with a 55-36 halftime lead.

Mike Olaitiman tried to bring the X-Terminators back into the game in the third period, but drew little help from his teammates. Olaitiman scored 12 points in the third and had only Rocyl Ritual backing him up. Advanced outscored Fiesta in the third, 20-18, but the former still faced a 15-point deficit, 58-73.

Esdrelon capped his long game brilliance with an 11-point output in the payoff period to lift Fiesta to a 25-point win.

Fiesta 96[/B] – Esdrelon 32, Ong 22, Salazar 13, Mojar 6, Maliwanag 6, Garcia 6, Rodriguez 3, Solidum 2, Licop 2, Borlongan 2.

G4S 87[/B] – Guiab 24, Basa 19, Banatasa 13, Chavez 11, Sison 8, Larioza 4, Lapeceros 4, Aquino 2.
[B] Shirley’s 78[/B] – Angeles 16, Sedillo 15, Nicdao 11, Laxa 9, Macario 8, Galario 7, Catungal 2, Drilon 2, Domingo 2.