SCBHABA wallops CECABA selection

The San Carlos Boys High Alumni Basketball Association (SCBHABA) hardly missed the services of top gunner Paul Abais in bombing out the short-handed Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA) selection, 100-77, in the 2005 Executive's Cup basketball tournament on Thursday night at the City Sports Club of Cebu gym.

In the other game, Club Monday unleashed a strong endgame kick to defeat the stubborn Guardo-Rama Boys Barkada, 87-74, and earn a share of the second spot with SCBHABA on identical 3-1 win-loss records. Games today 2:00 pm CECABA All-Stars vs. Club Monday 3:30 pm LISO vs. Guardo-Rama Boys

Playing without Abais, ace pointman Edwin Banaag gamely picked up the scoring cudgels finishing with a season-high 34 points on top of nine rebounds, five assists and three steals in an all-around performance, even as Roque Amores, Jonathan Diaz and Dean Wong also stepped up bigtime for SCBHABA.

Amores came up with a double-double show, firing 14 markers on top of 12 rebounds, while Diaz and Wong each had 11 points for SCBHABA which broke the game wide open early to mount a 52-37 lead at halftime.

Banaag, who shot a sparkling 15-of-21 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line, together with Amores and Graciano Moriles joined efforts in launching a devastating 29-12 run in the third canto to pad their lead to 32 points, 81-49. That sealed CECABA selection's doom.

The CECABA selection, which played with only seven players, was led by Stephen Tan with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Stephen Lee added 17 points, while Christopher Cokaliong dished out 14 points and 13 rebounds, but still they couldn't find the winning formula as the CEBABA selection slipped to its fourth straight loss in as many games.

Later on, Demosthenes Alfreche had another monster game, cashing in 24 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for Club Monday, while Andres Seno ably backed him up with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Guardo-Rama Boys actually put up a gallant fight and even led by a hairline, 54-53, after three quarters, but folded up in the payoff period where Club Monday dropped a 34-20 bomb to turn the close match into a lopsided contest at the final buzzer.

The scores

First game

SCBHABA (100) - Banaag 34, Amores 14, Diaz 11, Wong 11, Pua 9, Moriles 8, Ramos 7, Diaz 6

CECABA selection (77) - S. Tan 20, S. Lee 17, Cokaliong 14, S. Co 12, Lim 10, R. Yu 2, R. Co 2

Second game

Club Monday (87) - Alfeche 24, Seno 21, Nardo 10, Fontanoza 8, Sarasaba 7, Macasero 6, Monterroyo 4, Del Mar 3, Fernandez 2, Sepe 2

Guardo-Rama Boys (74) - Yuvallos 22, Zamora 18, De la Calzada 12, Lim 8, Daluz 6, Sable 4, Rebollido 4.