Sportswriters rout Cebu Grand Hotel

CEBU – The Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) barged into the next round in emphatic fashion as they routed the Cebu Grand Hotel, 86-65, at the close of the elimination round of the Thursday Club Basketball Tournament at the Capitol Parish Gym.

Needing a win to advance to the quarterfinal round, SAC rose to the occasion and rode the hot shooting of Jonas Panerio along with reinforcements Dave Ting, Dave Lim and Chad Canares to notch their third win in six games, and gain a twice-to-beat advantage in the next round.

Panerio wound up with 37 points spiked by eight three-point shots while Ting, the wily court general, tallied 21 markers including a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first period that pushed SAC up by 12, 24-12. From there, with Lim standing tall in the shaded lane against his mismatched defenders and the intense defense of Edri Aznar and Allan Defensor helping the cause, SAC withstood several rallies from Cebu Grand en route to the easy victory.

The win tied SAC with their victims at 3-3 while Jarduls and DCI, who had a 2-3 and 3-2 marks, respectively, were still playing as off press time. Northwoods remains untouched with an unblemished 6-0 mark and will be waiting in the semifinals. Rounding out the bottom are Turistas with a 2-4 card, and the Superidols, who tote a 1-5 record.

Meanwhile, SAC needs a win today in the United Architects Basketball Club in order to have a chance at advancing to the semifinals. With a 2-3 record, they are seeking a win against the top-ranked Powerfloor. In other games, Liquid Tile faces Megacryl while Sun and Rain tackles Biofresh. – Pooled Report (THE FREEMAN)