Wrecking Balls routs Futball

Wrecking Balls won its debut in the 2013 Sun Palace Christmas Basketball Tournament after cruising past Futball, 47-31, last Tuesday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Rachel Abrams led Wrecking Balls’ 16-point victory, as she towered above the much smaller players of Futball and dominated the paint to finish with a game-high 13 points. While Abrams took care of business in the shaded lane, Kyla Ito hit some outside shots to earn double digits with her 11 markers. Completing the team are Kaylani Lebria and Lily Williams, who added 6 markers apiece, and Madeleine Alegre and Karlene Reyes, who chipped in 2 each. Shaina Santiago and Rikki Kautz are also in the Wrecking Balls’ roster, but missed the team’s first game.

Futball listed more players than Wrecking Balls, 11 to eight, but only Mikayla Lopez scored in twin digits with her 12. Lopez was credited for four of the five field goals Futball earned in the first half, helping her team remain afloat, as Wrecking Balls led by only 3 at the break, 14-11. Jeralyn Castillo nailed the other field goal (a triple) of Futball in the opening 20 minutes of play.

Ahead by only 3, Wrecking Balls started pulling away midway in the second half with its balance offense.

Meanwhile, the Sun Palace Christmas caging kicked off last Saturday with two games in the boys division and one in the girls category.

In the first match, Rollers 2 nosed out Rollers 1, 63-61.

Kobe Mendoza top-scored for Rollers 2 with 16 points and also hit the crucial and last field goal of the squad, while Jun Fidelino had the insurance free throw and drilled three of the team’s last 5 points.

The Rollers 1 and 2 tiff was a neck-and-neck battle as Mendoza and Mike Espinosa traded baskets with Mike Arciaga and Irvin Malonzo. Only a point also separated the teams in the first half with Rollers 1 ahead, 29-28. Sam Darag scored all his 5 markers in the closing seconds of the first half to give Rollers 2 the shaky lead.

In the second half, it was Mendoza’s turn to take on the cudgels for Rollers 2, as he logged 12 points after converting only one field goal in the opening half.

In the other boys division game, Rollers 3 topped FTMP (Funky Town Monkey Pimps), 71-64.

C.J. Morales lifted Rollers 3 to the 7-point win after sizzling for 22 points. He made most of his points in the second half, which started with Rollers 3 up by only a hair, 34-23. Six players hit at least two field goals for Rollers 3 in the first half to earn a double-digit lead before FTMP tried to mount a comeback in the second half. However, Rollers 3 managed to keep its distance against FTMP, thanks to the 16 second-half points of Morales.

Tristan Montes led FTMP’s losing cause, firing a game-high 26 markers.

Rollers 2 63 – Mendoza 16, Espinosa 14, Fidelino 11, Capuyon 10, Darag 5, Babauta 2, Vivero 2.

Rollers 1 62 – Arciaga 12, Malonzo 11, Ano 10, Cayading 9, Factor 5, Yang 4, Yu 4, Pangelinan 2, Iglecias 2.

Scoring by halves: 29-28, 63-62.

Rollers 3 71 – Morales 22, Cruz 11, Francisco 9, K. De Luna 6, Dancoe 6, A. De Luna 6, Factor 5, Alipio 2.

FTMP 64 – Montes 26, Lixing 13, Lampkin 12, Omengkar 6, Dantic 2, Ballesteros 1.

Scoring by halves: 34-23, 71-64.

Wrecking Balls 47 – Abrams 13, Ito 11, Lebria 6, Williams 6, Alegre 2, Reyes 2.

Futball 31 – Lopez 12, Castillo 8, Rastguiy 6, Lumabi 2, Lee 2.

Scoring by halves: 14-11, 47-31.