PBA D-League Playoff Chase Resumes January 3

The chase for playoff berths in the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants' Cup resumes in earnest on January 3 with nine of the eleven competing teams still in contention for post-elims berths.

Three of the teams - pace-setting Cebuana Lhuillier (8-1), Freego Jeans (6-2) and Big Chill (6-3) are sure to make it while NLEX (5-1) is also practically there.

The Gems and Road Warriors, finalists in the inuagural D-League tournament earlier this year, collide on January 12 with possibly one outright semifinals berth on the line with the loser probably battling the Jeans Makers for the other outright spot if current form holds up.

The Superchargers hope to lock on to the second twice-to-beat quarterfinals edge but if Blackwater (3-3), RnW Pacific Pipes (4-3) or Boracay Rum (4-4) catch fire in January, Big Chill may have to go through a playoff to get that lofty placing.

PC Gilmore (2-5) and CafeFrance (2-5) both have an outside shot of making the Top Six but may need to win their remaining games. DUB Unlimited (1-7) and Cobra Energy Drink (1-8) are out of contention but could play the spoilers' role in the final six playdates.

Cebuana Lhuillier has been sizzling behind the heady performances of forward Vic Manuel and guards Terrence Romeo and ex-pro Jai Reyes and hope to get Kevin Alas back for the stretch run after the Letran guard spent several weeks in the US on a training trip.

NLEX has the core of the SEA Games gold medal winning team in its fold, with six members of the Sinag Pilipinas team in its fold as well as San Sebastian's frontline but the loss of sniper Roland Pascual (ACL) means Garvo Lanete and Chris Ellis have to step up their games alongside RR Garcia, Calvin Abueva and Clifford Hodge.

Freego Jeans also lost a vital cog when back-up guard Jer4ick Canada opted to turn pro overseas, leaving a huge gap behind star playmaker Lester Alvarez in the team's rotation though they finally have standout wingman Alex Nuyles healthy again to join Eric Camson, Janus Lozada and Bacon Austria.

Dark horse Big Chill needs consistent performances from Fil-Ams Alex Mallari, Keith Jensen and Elliot Tan as well as local workhorses Raffy Peyes, Jopher Custodio and Jessie Collado to go further in the tournament.(pr)

Blackwater, Max! Bond Super Glue 77 score separate wins

April 14, 2011

PBA D-League Foundation Cup
Team Standings

               Group A

                                           W     L
NLEX                                   3   1
Black Water                         3      1
Pharex                                  2     2
PC Gilmore                           2     2
RnW Pacific Pipes                1      2
Freego Jeans                         0       3

              Group B
                                            W     L
Max! Bond Super Glue         2     1
Cobra Energy Drink              2      1
Cebuana Lhuillier                 2      1
FCA                                      2       1
Maynilad                               2      2
Junior Powerade                    1      2
Café France                           0      3

Games Tuesday
 (Oreta gym, Malabon)
2 p.m. – Maynilad  vs Junior Powerade
4 p.m. – RnW Pacific Pipes vs Freego Jeans



Andrian Celeda scored 27 points and the Blackwater Elite rolled to
their third consecutive win with a vengeful 86-75 romp over Pharex
Thursday in the classification round of the PBA D-League Foundation
Cup at the Lyceum of The Philippines University gym.

With their 2-3 zone holding Pharex to 37 percent shooting (7 of 19) in
the third quarter, the Elite seized control of the match and gained a
first place tie with idle NLEX in Group A with 3-1 marks.

Rudy Lingganay scored on a hard drive with three seconds remaining to
power Max! Bond Super Glue to a stunning 77-75 win over Cobra Energy
Drink and into a first place tie in Group B.

Ex-pro Junjun Cabatu scored 19 points and Reil Cervantes added 13 for
the Sumos, who outplayed the Iron Men in the second half.

“Marami pa dapat i-improve ang team. Pero naroon na yung camaraderie
and yung team effort,” said Max! Bond Super Glue coach Pido Jarencio.

Cobra energy Drink star Paul Lee led all scorers with 23 points and
his basket with 6.8 seconds to play tied the game at 75-75.

The Iron Men, who picked up their first loss in three games, is now
joined by Max! Bond Super Glue, Cebuana Lhuillier and FCA on top of
Group
“We have two goals going into the game. First, we want to get back at
Pharex and second, we want to keep our streak going. I’m happy we
achieved both,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac.

“I thought the players showed a high level of confidence and they
believe in one another. I thought that was the key.”

Pharex opened the third quarter with a 46-42 lead before Gio Ciriacruz
knocked a 3-pointer as Blackwater scored the next 19 points to take
the lead for good. Another 3 by Ciriacruz gave the Elite their biggest
lead of the game at 66-50 late in the period.

Rocky Acidre scored 14 points and had seven rebounds, Ian Mazo added
13 points and Jonathan Belorio had 10 boards for Blackwater which
outrebounded Pharex, 49-41.

The win also put the Elite in the hunt for an outright spot in the
second round of the playoffs but Isaac said they’re taking it one game
at a time.

“Right now that’s not a priority. But if we will have the opportunity,
we’ll take it,” he said.

Jeff Morial and Raymond Aguilar each scored 15 points for Pharex,
which fell to 2-2 (win-loss) record after their second disappointing
loss.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Morial pulled the Bidang Generix to 69-76
with five minutes to play but Gerald Lapuz split his free throws and
Mazo added three more to bring the lead back to double digit.


The Scores:

First Game

Blackwater 86 – Celeda 27, Acidre 14, Mazo 13, Zulueta 9, Del Rosario
8, Ciriacruz 8, Belorio 6, Lapuz 1, Ihalas 0, Saret 0.

Pharex 75 – Morial 15, Aguilar 15, Losentes 9, Tecson  7, Adolfo 6,
Taylor 6, Banal 5, Asoro 4, Mangahas 4, Viernes 3, Deutchman 1,
Cabonse 0.

Quarters: 20-18; 40-40; 66-57; 86-75

Second Game

Max! Bond Super Glue 77 – Cabatu 19, Cervantes 13, Lingganay 11,
Bautista 10, Fortuna 9, Navarro 7, Teng 3, Cuan 3, Benitez 2, Hugnatan
0, Afuang 0.

Cobra Energy Drink 75 – Lee 23, Acibar 18, Sanga 9, Boloran 6, Foronda
4, Reyes 4, Eguilos 4, Hermosisima 4, Bandaying 2, Abaya 1.

Quarters: 13-20; 40-34; 53-51; 77-75.PR

Pharex overcomes early deficit on way to victory against Black Water, Cebuana Lhuillier defuses tough challenge from Cafe France

Marlon Adolfo scored 25 points, Jayson Deutchman added 16 and 10
rebounds and Pharex overcome a big early deficit on the way to 100-90
victory against Black Water Thursday in the PBA D-League Foundation
Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

Raymond Aguilar collected 14 points and Chester Taylor and Jeff
Viernes each scored 10 points for the Batang Generix, who turned the
game by scoring 11 of the first 15 points in the second quarter.
Viernes was banished off the court with five minutes left in the game
after hitting Rocky Acidre with a wayward elbow in the head.

In the other game, Cebuana Lhuillier lost star guard Benedict
Fernandez early in the third quarter but got solid performances from
Alain Maliksi, Marvis Hayes anad James Sena to defuse a tough
challenge from Café France for an 83-62 victory in Group B.

The Gems trailed by one points after 10 minutes, but held café France
to 2 of 25 shooting in the second quarter to seize control. Then
Maliksi (16 points) and Sena (12 points, 10 rebounds) took charge in
the third as Cebuana Lhuillier ripped the game open. Hayes also scored
12 points and grabbed 12 boards.

“It’s tough to play collegiate players because they have a system. But
I thought our defense was good and we made good shot selection in the
second half,” said Cebuana Lhuillier coach Luigi Trillo, the youngest
coach in the league at 35.

Fernandez, a free agent, managed just five points before being thrown
out of the game with eight minutes left in the third for plan ting his
foot on the landing spot of a shooting player.

Leeward Labaton and Jewel Ponferada each scored 13 points for Café France.

“Our defense is kind of soft early. But we’re lucky we were able to
turn it around,” said Pharex coach Gian Carlo Tan.

Tan said team was formed only two weeks before the tournament and
pointed to its lack of chemistry as also a factor to their poor start.

“The team has not really experience a time to bond and know each
other. Good thing we defense hold and enable us to win. I hope we jell
sooner than later,” Tan said.

Rocky Acidre scored 22 points and Gio Ciriacruz had 21 for Black Water
which allowed a big, early lead to dissipate. To make matters worse,
the Elites committed 20 tunrovers.

Mentored by Leo Isaac, Black Water got their offense going early and
roared to a 17-5 lead.

But Pharex, which tied NLEX and RnW Pacific Pipes for lead in Group A,
rallied and outscored Black Water, 15-3, the rest of the period to tie
at 20-20.

With the Bidang Generix frontline of Adolfo, Duetchman and Aguilar
taking charge in the third, Pharex opened a 31-25 lead and never
trailed again.


The scores
First Game

Pharex 100 – Adolfo 25, Deutchman 16, Aguilar 14, Viernes 10, Taylor
10, Banal 8, Mangahas 5, Asoro 4, Morial 4, Tecson 3, Montilla 1.

Black Water 90 – Acidre 22, Ciriacruz 21, Celeda 12, Zulueta 12, Mazo
10, Belorio 8, Lapuz 2, J.Del Rosario 2, Del Rosario 1, Zaret 0.

Quarters: 20-20; 48-44; 74-67; 100-90

Second Game
Cebuana Lhuillier 83 – Maliksi 16, Hayes 12, Sena 12, Alas 9, Eunon 8,
Nabong 6, Mepana 5, Fernandez 5, Semira 5, Mandani 2, Lee 2, Llagas
12, bagatsing 0, Canta 0.

Café France 62 – Ponferada 13, Lobaton 13, Bulangis 12, Rublico 8,
Banas 5, Gallardo 4, Magbiutang 3, Mejos 3, Almario 1, Babad 0,
Graebel 0, Garcia 0.

Quarters: 16-17; 33-29; 42-61; 83-62 (pr)