League leader Western Union kept its clean slate while Aloha Maid Choppers struggled but was able to score a win, Sunday in the Filipino Basketball League (FBL) at the Palau National gym.

Western Union showed their shooting prowess as they man-handled Liquid Skyy Dragons, 109-84. Trailing 19-20 in the opening quarter, Western Union then unleashed their deadly shooting and found their range as they outscored the Dragons with a 27-13 in the second and closed the first half of play with a 46-33 advantage.

From there, Western Union would keep their intensity as they met little resistance from the Dragons as they would score the win and keep a clean slate in the team standings with a 9-0 win-loss record.

Dennis Castro topscored for Western Union with 26 while Al Obrero chipped in 20 as Michael Garcia and Medel Cuyugan added identical 15 markers. Jonathan Pablo, on the other hand, led the Dragons in the scoring department with 35 while teammate Dovie de Jesus clipped 20 on the losing end as they now sport a 3-5 tally.

On the other hand, the Aloha Maid Choppers managed to strive after struggling offensively to beat a hard fighting PECI Spartans, 70-63. The Choppers started slow as they trailed 12-16 and even trailed by one at the end of the first half at 28-29.

The Choppers, sponsored by Shimbros International, managed to break away from the game in the last minute of play in the fourth canto with Arvin Pramo and Arvin Tacder leading the cause. From there, the Choppers would escape with the win and now sport a 7-2 tally.

Pramo normed 27 points while Tacder chipped in 17 as Mark Mirasol and Rudolph Calapardo led the scoring for the Spartans with 17 and 13, respectively on the losing end as they now take a 1-8 card.

In other games, Surangel King drubbed the Rams, 106-91 while the Ilocandia Bulls won over the Jaguar, 83-72.

Games will resume on February 23 with PECI Spartans versus Liquid Skyy Dragons at 11 a.m. followed by the Jaguar-Surangel Stars tussle at 12:30 p.m. as Hanpa Cardinals will meet PNQ Crushers at 2 p.m. while FR Spoilers will test the Royal Cargo Rangers in the main game at 3:30 p.m.

Sponsors for this year’s season are Aqua Pure Water, ATT Karaoke and Bar, Blue Bay Petroleum, CTSI Palau, Hanpa Industrial Development Corporation, HBO, Kumangai Bakery, Midtown Gas Station, Mingles Tototo, MJ Trading, Palasia Hotel, Palau Pacific Resort, Palau Trading, Pinoy Express Remittance, Shimbros International, Surangel and Sons, The Taj Palau, Palau Curtain, Engr. Bobby Pineda and Western Caroline Trading Company (WCTC).

The Filipino Basketball League (FBL) is under the supervision of the Palau Basketball Federation (PBF).  By Peter Erick L. Magbanua (Island Times News)