Victory Global, Noble Homes stun foes in ‘Corporate League’ opener

CEBU, Philippines - Hoopstars 2013 Corporate League at J Centre Mall opened last Saturday night with 22 teams participating in the inter-company basketball tournament that will run until summer this year and played at the mall’s roofdeck basketball court.          

In the opening games, Victory Global Cebu of the Albert Surplus franchise and Noble Homes Construction and Development Corp. emerged victorious against their first assignments in the series supported by Siknoy Noodle House and 89.9 Smooth FM.

Victory Global overpowered Oishi Fish Crackers of Liwayway Marketing Corp. (LMC), 102-97, in overtime during the main game, while Noble Homes edged 88th Floor Gifts Inc., 68-64, in the opening game.

Cloyd Punla scored 22 points as Kenneth Cañete added 21 to lift up Victory Global, especially in the overtime period that eclipsed the 35 marks Werde (Arcala) Lopez made for LMC Oishi.

Lopez’s split charities evened the game at 86 in regulation, as he tried to boost Oishi up despite Cañete’s trapping defense on him during the extension, but the latter and Punla answered back until the last tie at 94-all when both further burst in further scoring.

Organizers named Cañete as Player of the Game for his work both on offense and defense. They also did for Michael Manglapus in the game earlier for orchestrating the victory for Noble Homes.

In that game, Manglapus made 14 points as Jon Manigsaca added 16 when both overshadowed the 32 points Philbert Borces made for 88th Floor. Borces’ last quarter surge with 13 points was not enough to bail out his team.

The scores

First game

Victory Global (102) – Punla 22, Cañete 21, Caballero 15, Quiñones 14, Dela Cerna 12, Crodua 10, Angcay 6, Cañedo 2, Ho 1, Tulod 1 

LMC Oishi (97) – Lopez (Arcala) 35, Larosa 13, Aleonar 11, Otod 11, Ihapon 7, Cogay 5, Sereño 5, Escanilla 4, Espina (Sanchez) 2, Monterde 2, Oyao 2 

Quarterscores: 13-23; 23-16; 23-15; 43-43

Second game

Noble Homes (68) – Manigsaca 16, Manglapus 14, Tianco 12, Castro 11, Labitad 7, Solon 4, Leal 2, Lofranco 2         88th Floor (64) – Borces 32, Guardiano 9, Into 7, Alcantara 5, Tudtud 4, Pantalion 3, Barnaxia 2, Elorde 2.  Quarterscores: 15-12; 16-12; 21-19; 21-16  (FREEMAN)