Shell '78/85 nails 7th straight win

CEBU, Philippines - No one can stand in their way, so far.

The Pilipinas Shell-backed Class ’78/85 motored to its seventh straight win in as many starts but had to pass through rough waters before edging out the gritty GCM Merchandise ’98-B, 86-74, in the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association’s 11th Dr. Chen Lieh Fu Memorial Cup on Thursday night at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

Spitfire Chester Cokaliong and explosive guard Joel Chan once again stole the thunder with their sterling performances that earned them the “Players of the Game” accolade.

 Cokaliong, who sank six triples and shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line and 3-of-3 from the 2-point field goal, charted 29 points capped by a crucial 3-pointer underneath the final two-minute mark of the contest that buffered Class ’78/85 to victory.

Chan, who enjoyed his finest season ever since the league’s inception in 1999, recorded his third triple double of the year with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Edwin Kaw kept his guns ablaze to chip in 20 pints, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks spotlighting his hardcourt versatility.

Class ’78/85 closed the third period with a 61-52 lead, but Class ’98-B, exploiting its fresher legs, rallied back to pull within just two points, 71-73.

However, Cokaliong played the fireman’s role by knocking in a trey off a nifty assist by Chan that gave Class ’78/85 a heavy sigh of relief, 76-71. From that moment on, the Shell-sponsored squad outlasted Class ’98-B, to stay as the only undefeated team in the league.

Silent operator Wilty Yap was the other double-digit scorer for Class ’78/85 with 12 points on a 6-of-8 sniping from the field.

Virgilio Escoton, Jr. netted 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Leovigildo Yu had 19 points for Class ’98-B, which slipped to 5-3.

In the other game, Centennial Hardware ’95 dealt Chester Enterprises ’82/83 its second straight loss in overtime, 66-63.

Class ’82/83 had a chance to clinch the win in the regulation period when the score stood at 55-all, but Christopher Cokaliong missed a point-blank attempt as the gameclock expired, thus, the five-minute extension.

Donald Anthony Ting scattered 21 points, four rebounds and four steals as Class ’95 notched its ninth victory in 10 games. Joseph James Yu had 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Archie Gue donated 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Stephen Tan pumped in 24 points, four rebounds, four blocks and two steals, while Christopher Cokaliong submitted a season-high 23 markers on top of 12 rebounds, but their combined efforts were not enough to shield Class ’82/83 from absorbing its eight straight defeat after an impressive 2-0 start.

The scores

First game

Class ’78/85 (86) — Cokaliong 29, Kaw 20, Chan 14, Yap 12, Yu 9, Wong 2

Class ’98-B (74) — Escoton 23, Yu 19, Evangelista 14, Co 9, Yap 7, Plaza 2

Second game

Class ’95 (66) — Ting 21, Yu 14, Gue 11, Dy Teves 8, Ho 8, Gerson 2, Dabatos 2

Class ’82/83 (63) — Tan 24, Cokaliong 23, Ku 11, Lim 3, Yu 2   (THE FREEMAN)