Alberto's Pizza, Explorer thrash foes

CEBU, Philippines – Alberto’s Pizza and Team Explorer hammered separate foes at the start of the 5th Lucky Tableware Regulars Basketball Tournament at the Visayan Glass Gym in Brgy. Guadalupe, this city.

Alberto’s Pizza clobbered the Visayan Ballers, 78-56, while the Explorer spanled the CDU Reapers, 47-29.

Alberto’s Pizza parlayed an early 19-9 lead into an 18-point advantage at halftime, 40-22, that rattle the Visayan Balllers the rest of the way.

The Explorer, on the other hand, turned a once close contest into a lopsided match by whipping up a furious offensive storm in the final half.

The Explorer was ahead by only three at the break, 23-20, but staged a daring breakaway in the third period to mount a 13-point edge, 40-47. They then held off the CDU Reapers to a paltry two points in the final quarter to come up with an 18-point blowout.

A total of five teams joined the annual tilt. They will follow a double round robin format in the elimination round. The top four will advance into the crossover semis, with the top seed going up against the fourth-ranked squad and the No.2 squaring off against No.3.The winners will then clash for the championship in a winner-take-all affair.

The champion will take home P6,000, while the second and third will receive P3,000 and P1,000, respectively. – EBV (THE FREEMAN)