Club Monday reaches semis; SHABA nails first win in Executive's Cup cagefest

Club Monday went strong in the windup to turn back the upset-seeking Jaycees Basketball Association (JBA) selection via an 87-86 cliffhanger to advance into the semifinals of the 2005 Executive's Cup basketball tournament last Sunday at the City Sports Club of Cebu gym.

Prior to that, the Sacred Heart Alumni Basketball Association (SHABA) cagers were praising to high heavens after they frustrated the Guardo-Rama Boys Barkada, 69-66, for their first victory of the season.

Fresh from a shocking conquest of the CECABA All-Stars, the Jaycees Basketball Association was again poised to wield its giant-killing, ways but wilted in the face of Club Monday's furious endgame assault.

Trailing by seven at the end of the third quarter, 53-60, Demosthenes Alfeche and Andres Seno, Jr. masterminded a decisive game-closing 34-26 run to change the course of the match in favor of Club Monday when the dust settles.

Seno had a monster game, finishing with a season-high 35 points on top of 15 rebounds, while Alfeche fired 13 of his 28 points in the final canto for Club Monday, which now o assumed the solo second spot with a 5-2 win-loss record. Alfeche also had 11 rebounds and six assists.

Chris Sta. Maria has a season-best 27 points, but his sterling show went futile as JBA fell to 3-3.

JBA though still has a chance to barge into the semis, but has mountain to climb as it needs to beat the undefeated defending champion Liloanon Sports Organization (LISO) selection today at 9pm.

In the other game, SHABA selection snapped out of its five-game losing skid despite the absence of some of its key players.

Hilton Lim stepped up bigtime for SHABA with 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.He was ably backed up by Eric Casas, Josepha Chua and Rodolfo Divinagracia, who connived for 40 points.

SHABA trailed by three heading into the final quarter, 46-49, but unleashed a tide-turning 23-17 run in the closing minute of the game to steal the win in come-from-behind fashion.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael L. Rama topscored with 13 points for the Guardo-Rama Boys, which suffered its sixth defeat against only one win.