Ave Maria nails second win in M. Lhuillier U-21 League

CEBU - Ave Maria Sanctuary Park went strong at the endgame to walk away with a 68-61 victory over Jeff Pharma in the continuing action of the 6th M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Under-21 Developmental Basketball League at the Consolacion Sports Complex.

Ave Maria of coach Marlon Piodo, a former pro who first shot to fame when he bagged the MVP award in the 1998 CAAA season while playing for the USJ-R Jaguars, took an early 20-17 lead, but Jeff Pharma rallied back in the second period to grab the upperhand at halftime, 33-31.

Jeff Pharma, manned by players from the University of San Carlos (USC), maintained a slim 51-50 lead after three quarters but lost its steam in the crucial moments of the game.

Ave Maria capitalized on the opportunity to close the contest with an 18-10 bang for the kill.

Thus, Ave Maria moved to solo second place with a 2-1 win-loss record in the two-month tilt organized by the M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation (MLSDF) through the efforts of its executive director and multi-titled coach Eddie B. Ybañez.

The top three finishers will receive P5,000, P3,000 and P2,000, respectively. However, the prizes will be donated to charitable institution of the winners’ choice since it is an event for a cause.

The scores

Ave Maria SP (68) - Montenegro 17, De la Rama 15, Abing 13, Regalado 9, Igoña 6, Senining 4, Morales 2, Trillo 2

Jeff Pharma (61) - Candari 10, Fernandez 9, Areja 8, Resilla 8, Tagaloguin 7, Castañeda 5, Tiu 5, Lasala 4, Dinsay 3, Gallur 2

Quarterscores:20-17, 31-33, 50-51, 68-61 – EBV (THE FREEMAN)