LADDER BEACH, AXE PROA WINS

Four more teams debuted in the 2013 UFO-Budweiser Open Division Basketball League with Ladder Beach and AXE Proa downing Toka Degree and KB Market last Tuesday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

AXE Proa played in the curtain-raiser and defeated KB Market, 89-79, while Ladder Beach triumphed over Toka Degree in the second match, 102-88, to join opening day winner Kanoa Resort, which beat the Hoopaholics last Sunday, 71-70.

The first game was a seesaw battle with AXE Proa, saving enough ammunition in the end to outgun KB Market. AXE Pro scored 27 points against only 14 from KB Market in the fourth quarter to turn a 62-65 deficit to the 10-point win. Dan Barcinas led AXE Proa in the final canto, dropping 8 of his 14 markers in that period, while Jack Lizama, Gino Libuw, and Joe Villacrusis contributed two field goals apiece.

New AXE Proa recruit Lerio Pagarao had only 2 points in the fourth quarter, but his early baskets kept his squad in the match and he went on to finish with a game-high 24 points. Pagarao scored AXE Proa’s last 10 points in the third canto, as he traded baskets with Ivan Devero, who drilled 8 of KB Market’s last 10 markers in that frame.

Earlier in the first canto, it was KB Market’s Leo Galarse versus Villacrus with the former firing 7 points to lift his team to a 24-16 lead. VIllacrusis nailed AXE Proa’s first 8 points in the opening frame. Pagarao took over in the second period, logging 10 points and drawing enough help from his teammates, as Proa recorded 27 points to grab the lead at halftime, 34-43. KB Market was held to 10 points with only Devero making more than one field goal for his team in the third quarter.

The lead changed anew in the third, as Esdrelon showed up at the start of the second half, hit back-to-back triples, and scored 10 points to help out Devero. However, Proa still had the last say, as Barcinas and company burned the hoops, while KB Market was limited to four field goals and Devero went scoreless in the important frame.

In the second game, Ladder Beach gained momentum late in the third canto and hung tough in the fourth to beat Toka Degree.

Ladder Beach faced a 37-42 deficit at halftime, but grabbed the upper hand entering the final canto, 74-63, as Wowie Abuel ended the third with back-to-back triples and led his team’s 10-2 windup in the last two minutes of that period.

Toka Degree tried to mount comeback in the fourth, opting to go for a press midway in the final frame. However, Ladder Beach used their quickness to elude Toka Degree defenders and escape with uncontested inside baskets.

The guards did the trick for Ladder Beach, as Abuel finished with 22 points, Kevin De Leon added 18, and Dennis Vinas contributed 16. Six-foot-nine center Kevin McCain played decoy and drew the defense of Toka Degree big men , allowing Rolly Paraiso to get a couple of baskets off backdoor plays. Both McKain and Paraiso scored in twin digits with 17 and 11 markers, respectively.

Jawn Joyner paced Toga Degree with his 17 points, but was held to one field goal in the fourth canto. Tony Diaz also struggled in the fourth, failing to make a single basket after finishing the third with 14 markers. Toga Degree was gassed out in the latter part of the third and was a bit disorganized on offense in the fourth. It concentrated too much on pushing off McCain in the paint, forgetting to rotate back to defense against Ladder Beach guards, who either pulled up for long jumpers or cut to the lane.

First Game

AXE Proa 89 – Pagarao 24, Villacrusus 15, Lizama 12, Barcinas 10, Libuw 9, Sablan 7, Rosario 3, Babauta 2, Mendiola 2.

KB Market 79 – Galarse 21, Devero 14, Barbo 14, Esdrelon 10, De Dios 7, Manalo 2, David 2, Guiab 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-24, 43-34, 62-65, 89-79.

Second Game

Ladder Beach 102 – Abuel 22, De Leon 18, McCain 17, Vinas 16, Mangali 11, Paraiso 11, Sison 3, Montano 2.

Toka Degree 88 – J. Joyner 17, Camacho 15, T. Diaz 14, Mendiola 11, E. Diaz 11, Augenbaugh 7, Deleon Guerrero 4, Reyes 3, Peters 2.

Scoring by quarters: 21-20, 37-42, 74-63, 102-88




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