Class '96, '89/93 score in CECABA semis

Defending champion Big Boss '96 and Asian Home Appliance '89/93 posted contrasting victories at the start of the semifinal round in the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association's 8th Dr. Chen Lieh Fu Memorial Cup on Tuesday at the City Sports Club Cebu gym.

Class '96 pummeled Hannah's Cakes and Decors 2004 from start to finish en route to a 76-60 romp, while Class '89/93 dug deep at crunchtime to turn back Dewfoam '88, 64-60.

Tonight, a pair of sudden-death quarterfinal matches will be contested, with Young Builders '91 taking on Chester Enterprises '67/83 in the first game at 7:30 pm and Dendramil Merchandizing '94 clashing with Rocket Battery '95 in the main dish at 9 pm. The winners will march into the semis.

Mark Ryan Babor and Emmanuel Baron each had 15 points and Dreyfuss Ang contributed 11 markers as Class '96 relentlessly pounced on Class 2004 for three quarters to come up with a 16-point advantage, 59-43, entering the final canto. The younger graduates were in complete mess from thereon.

Class 2004 was badly hurt by the absence of top gunner Christian Espada who did not show up in the game.

Aljhune Areja and Danel Hayag stepped up in Espada's absence with a combined 33-point output, but their efforts went in vain.

Earlier, Ryan Alexis Mendez scattered a season-high 24 points, while Allan Leith Ting added 17 for Class '89/93, which trailed most of the way until Mendez and Wilby Tan presided over a tide-turning run in the final stretch.

Down by eight points at the end of the third period, 43-51, Mendez made six points and Tan scored all his seven points in a decisive 21-9 endgame attack that catapulted Class '89/93 to a come-from-behind triumph.

Erwin Yu topped Class '88 with a season-best 23 points, while Richard Yu and Rey Kenneth Ng cashed in 13 and 11 markers in a losing cause.

It was a heart-rending setback for Class '88 as it led by as much as 17 points in the third quarter.