Defending champion Armatech/MDX regrouped quickly and trounced Pacific Islands Club, 71-46, in the third and final game in the 2013 UFO-Budweiser Masters Division Basketball League last Saturday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium of the TSL Sports Complex.

Armatech/MDX lost its opener to Degree/UPAA, 56-70, and vented its ire on the hapless PIC, which suffered another bad beating after a 42-56 defeat to Shakir Realty in the opening day.

PIC failed to barge into the win column as it could not keep up with the much-deeper bench of Armatech/MDX. PIC’s lack of manpower was evident right in the first quarter of its game against Armatech/MDX, as the former was held to one field goal and 3 points, while the latter did not even go to its usual starters, but still led, 11-3.

After an anemic first quarter, PIC still bled for points in the second canto, as it took nearly four minutes before it connected on its second field goal. PIC’s poor offensive showing allowed Armatech/MDX to break the game wide open in the second frame, as the defending champion took a 33-12 halftime lead. Big men Hae Jun Park and Bruce Berline pounded PIC’s much smaller frontliners inside to help Armatech/MDX dominate its foe.

It was still a Armatech/MDX show in the third quarter, as it rotated its players well to more than double up PIC after that canto, 63-26. Ahead by 37 with only one quarter to go, Armatech/MDX decided the lead was enough to let PIC score several uncontested shots in the final frame. Butch Sublemente benefited the most when Armatech/MDX relaxed in the fourth, as the PIC guard scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Sublemente was the lone double figure scorer for PIC, while Armatech/MDX had four players tallying twin digits. Martin Moreno nailed 12, Bong Malasarte had 11, and Park and Berline chipped in 10 each. Sonny Ebuen and Jojo Detera contributed 8 apiece.

Meanwhile, organizers of the UFO caging are reminding Masters teams about the correct start time for this Saturday’s games. The first match between Degree (2-0) and PIC (0-2) will kick off at 5pm, while the second game featuring Shakir Realty (1-1) and Laguna (0-1) is set for 6:30pm. The final game, which will be between Armatech and Blue Haus (1-0) will be played at 8pm.

Armatech/MDX 71 – Moreno 12, Malasarte 11, Park 10, Berline 10, Ebuen 8, Detera 8, Poquiz 4, Pineda 3, Crisostomo 2, Canedo 2.

Pacific Islands Club 46 – Sublemente 24, Tolentino 7, J. Ricafort 5, Bea 3, Hernandez 2, Ballesteros 2, Bartolo 1.

Scoring by quarters: 11-3, 33-12, 63-26, 71-46.