CECABA All-Stars shackle PPSA in Execs Cup caging

The prolific inside-outside combination of Chester Cokaliong and Ricky Yu conspired for 45 points in the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA) All-Stars' 104-66 massacre of Punta Princesa Sports Association (PPSA)-I Cooler Marketing in the 2006 Executives Cup on Tuesday at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

After being held off a measly three-point output in their previous upset loss to Team Barkada, Cokaliong rose back to life as he shot seven 3-pointers of his topscoring 25 points on top of three assists and two rebounds to run away with the game MVP honors.

Yu heavily backed up Cokaliong with 22 markers, nine rebounds and three assists on a remarkable 10-13 sniping from the field for the Pilipinas Shell-sponsored CECABA All-Stars, which spared no mercy against the hapless PPSA squad all throughout the 40-minute battle.

In the main game, Insular Life went through some scary moments before eking out a scrappy 73-71 win over Sacred Heart Alumni Basketball Association (SHABA)-Cebu Home Builders to join the CECABA All-Stars at second place with similar 6-2 win-loss records.

Cokaliong and Yu stoked the early offensive fire as they combined for 15 points to vault the CECABA All-Stars to an early 23-12 lead.

Spunky guard Joel Chan later joined the scoring binge, even as the CECABA All-Stars displayed great team effort in whipping up a fierce 34-15 attack in the second quarter to mount an imposing 30-point bulge at halftime, 57-27.

So decisive the CECABA All-Stars were that they relentlessly pummeled PPSA in final two quarters capped by a 28-21 burst to wrap up the 38-point blowout.

Chan scored only nine but had 11 points and eight assists for the CECABA stars. Stephen Tan contributed 12 points and five rebounds followed by Edvin Kaw with 11 markers, five rebounds and three assists.

Esteban Cesar Ortega scattered 23 points and 17 rebounds, Ric Jason Hernandez chipped in 14 and Alfred Lim added 11 points and 11 caroms for PPSA, which fell to 4-4.

In the other game, Insular Life saw five of its players dishing out double figures in getting past the gritty SHABA selection.

Aikan Cabañero had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, while Ray Eduave and Roy Joseph de Guzman cashed in 11 markers apiece for Insular Life, which used a 21-13 run in the third period to gain control of the match, 56-51, after being down by three at halftime, 35-38.

Insular Life, which also drew 10 points each from Roderek Villegas and Rodolfo Romanos, weathered a spirited endgame resistance by SHABA to notch its sixth win in eight starts.

Theogene Lim fired a season-high 35 points and four rebounds, but got only help from Frederick Tan with 15 points and a season-best 16 rebounds as SHABA suffered its seventh defeat against only one victory.

The scores

First game

CECABA All-Stars (104) - Cokaliong 25, R. Yu 22, Tan 12, Kaw 11, Chan 9, Sia 7, Cokaliong 6, W. Yu 6, Resil Yu 4, E. Yu 2

PPSA (66) - Ortega 23, Hernandez 14, Lim 11, Arellano 8, Espinoza 6, Villar 2, Mosqueda 2

Second game

Insular Life (73) - Cabañero 14, Eduave 11, De Guzman 11, Villegas 10, Romanos 10, Llanos 9, Calo 5, Cinco 3

SHABA (71) - T. Lim 35, F. Tan 15, Roxas 6, N. Lim 5, Young 4, P. Lim 4, Divinagracia 2