AXE Proa and Pacific Islands Club romped past separate opponents in the Emon Lodge No. 179 Brotherhood Basketball League 2013/Docomo Pacific Cup last Thursday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

In the first game, PIC whipped and stunned Mobil, 109-83, to notch its second win in four games and tied the latter for third place in the team standings. PIC managed to post a 16-point winning margin despite being threatened in the third canto, as it capitalized on the depleted and wounded crew of Mobil in the fourth period.

Mobil played with only six players and was down to five in the entire second half after Freddie Pelisamen was ejected from the match midway in the second canto. The Mobil gunner was disqualified from the game after pushing off against PIC’s John Ricafort. The incident, according to spectators, started when Mobil’s Jun Estolas went for an inbound and tried to pass the ball to Pelisamen, who was being pestered by Ricafort. Pelisamen argued Ricafort was holding his jersey and he tried to get free by shoving his pesky defender.

Referee Arnold Mesa stood by his call and disqualified Pelisamen, who left the match after scoring 19 points, 7 of them came early in second period. Soon, Mobil coach Marvin Deocares joined Pelisamen out of the court, as the mentor also drew two technical fouls for contesting his player’s ejection.

Without Deocares and Pelisamen, Mobil was in disarray at the resumption of the second canto, as PIC turned a 30-21 lead to a 57-40 halftime advantage. The defending champion then made headway in the third canto, cutting the deficit to a deuce, 70-72. Estolas led the comeback bid, scoring 14 points, while Errol Peredo and Zack Babauta also helped out, adding 6 markers apiece.

However, Mobil ran out of gas in the fourth canto, while PIC recovered from a sloppy third period with big men Ham Hambros and Bart Demapan asserting their might in the paint against their tired defenders. Demapan and Hambros combined for 22 points in the fourth quarter and points continued to pour in for PIC in the final half of that frame.

PIC sizzled for 37 points in the payoff period against Mobil’s 13. Fatigue caught up with Estolas in the fourth, as he was held to 2 points, while Babauta made only three free throws. Peredo was the lone Mobil player to score more than two field goals in the fourth, hitting a triple and a 2-point field goal.

In the second game, AXE Proa cruised past the Blazers, 88-42.

AXE Proa remained unbeaten in five games, while the Blazers dropped to a 0-4 record. The Rufino Aguon-coached Proa had the game in the bag as early as the second canto when it limited the Blazers to 3 points and turned a 19-11 lead to a big 37-14 advantage. By the end of the third, AXE Proa went up by 33, 62-29, and the hapless Blazers never made an effort to bring the deficit to a decent number in the fourth, as they were clearly outclassed by the league-leading team.

AXE Proa was so dominant on offense that it had seven players scoring in double figures, while only five players made it to the board for the Blazers and two logged twin digits.

First Game

PIC 109 — Demapan 29, Hambros 18, Duenas 14, Ni. Salem 11, Ne. Salem 10, Barbo 10, Abuy 9, Babauta 4, Bartolo 3, Castro 2.

Mobil 83 — Estolas 24, Peredo 19, Pelisaman 19, Babauta 10, Camacho 5, Galzote 4.

Scoring by quarters: 30-21, 57-40, 72-70, 109-83.

Second Game

AXE Proa 88 — Aranda 12, Alegre 12, Lizama 11, Barcinas 11, Villacrusis 10, Chariton 10, Tudela 10, Dela Rosa 6, Babauta 4, Libuw 2.

Blazers 42 — Sablan 12, Mendiola 10, Taylor 8, Quan 6, Younis 4.

Scoring by quarters: 19-11, 37-14, 62-29, 88-42.