CECABA dumps Padres Recoletos

Despite being stricken with a flu, feared marksman Chester C. Cokaliong flashed the lionheart of a hardcourt warrior in him as he bombed 12 triples of his 42 points to vault the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA) All-Stars to a masterful 125-105 demolition of USJ-R Padres Recoletos in their goodwill encounter last Sunday at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

It was an incredible comeback for Cokaliong, who was weakened by flu resulting to his failure to win any of the three shooting competitions held earlier for the first time in his decorated career.

“I was way off the mark during the shootout because I was hobbled by flu. Before the game, I even told coach Bong Pineda to pull me out  if ever I perform miserably again in outside shooting,” said Cokaliong, who also issued six assists to become the runaway choice as All-Star MVP.

“But I was pleasantly surprised that I hit my targets pretty well during the game proper. It was really a heart-warming consolation for me,” added the shipping magnate turned hoop icon and patron.

Cokaliong regained his shooting touch with aplomb, unloading seven of his game-ripping tomahawks in the first two quarters to buoy the CECABA stars to an imposing 66-44 lead at the intermission. He sank five more triples in the final half, where the Easternians neutralized the dribbling Augustinian priests to seal the 20-point romp.

Aside from Cokaliong, six other CECABA cagers dished out twin figures. Chester’s younger brother, Christopher, lived up to his lofty billing as the 2008 CECABA Most Improved Player by cashing in 22 points. Flashy guard Ryan Alexis Mendez chipped in 14 points followed by Sammy Sia with 13 and Zotico Tan, Richard Yu, and Gregorio Aguilar with 10 markers apiece.

Amadeo Lucero paced the Padres Recoletos with a game-high 52 points, but drew support only from Joseph Dexter Palagtiosa with 27 points.

The CECABA stars, on the other hand, topped two others events, with the ageless Zotico Tan lording it over in the free-throw shooting and Mendez topping the 3-point shootout. Tan defeated Allan Cabatian, while Mendez bagged the 3-point king title after edging out Sammy Sia by the slimmest of margins, 10-9. Cokaliong did not make it to the championship round after hitting only a measly three points in the qualifying phase.

The Padres Recoletos, skippered by Fr. Anthony Morillo, OAR (the current president of the University of San Jose-Recoletos), had their fair share of the limelight as the tandem of Ronald Cepe and Joseph Dexter Palagtiosa dominated the 2-ball contest.

Cepe and Palagtiosa drilled in 43 points in the final round, edging out closest pursuer Zotico Tan and Sammy Sia of the CECABA side by 15 points. Ryan Alexis Mendez and Edwin Kaw copped the third place honors with 25 points.