SCSIT Skyblazers win first CBA cage crown

CEBU, Philippines - Mark Abadia sizzled with 32 points as the Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology (SCSIT) Skyblazers downed Ave Maria Sanctuary Park, 85-82, to win the inaugural championship of the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Basketball Association last Sunday at the Cordova Sports Complex.

Abadia, thus, became the hands-down choice for the MVP plum. He was ably backed up by Stephen Padilla with 20 points.

Jimwell Torion, who tended the backcourt with precision, added 11 points followed by 6-foot-8 center Rino Berame with 10.

The Skyblazers lost in Game 1, 79-83, but came back with a vengeful 88-70 victory in Game 2 to forge a deciding game.

They trailed at halftime, 39-41, but they offsetted the two-point deficit by outscoring Ave Maria a bit in the final half, 46- 4.

Jercules Tangkay returned from a minor knee injury scoring 13 points, but it was the tandem of Alex Cainglet and Armand Ponce who topscored for Ave Maria with 15 points apiece.

The scores

SCSIT (85) - Abadia 32, Padilla 20, Torion 11, Berame 10, Isidro 8, Labares 4

Ave Maria (82) - Cainglet 15, Ponce 15, Tangkay 13, Gabas 11, Cavan 11, France 8, Amores 3, Abellana 3 Halftime: 39-41 (FREEMAN)