GMA-7 Kapuso rules NBAC season-opening conference

CEBU, Philippines - Many-time champion GMA-7 Kapuso lived up to its lofty billing after it completed a two-game sweep of The Freeman-Cebu Daily News (CDN) Red Shamans via a 79-70 victory in Game 2 of their best-of-three finals series to rule the season-opening conference of the 2013 Newsmen Basketball Association of Cebu (NBAC) yesterday at the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) gym.

Unlike in their 67-71 victory during the opener, the Kapuso cagers were in full command this time although The Freeman-CDN gave them a tough fight in the early goings, suffering only a two-point deficit, 24-26, after the first 10 minutes of play.

The Red Shamans were able to forged at least three deadlocks, their last was at 34-all as GMA-7, powered by the awesome foursome of Renante Quiñones, Gabriel Bonjoc, Godfrey Rillen and Jun Solon, went on a scoring spree to close the first half with a baker's dozen lead, 45-32.

The Kapuso side of coach Ronald Rillen further ripped the game apart, leading by as much as 22 points after outscoring the Red Shamans in that stretch, 20-13.

The Freeman-CDN, behind the efforts of Jonas Panerio, Manny Villaruel, Calvin Cordova, Rico Navarro, and Peter Romanillos, tried to turn things around in the final quarter but GMA-7 has already piled enough lead to secure their second straight NBAC crown since the league was activated last year after a four-year hiatus.

Bonjoc topscored for GMA-7 with 18 points, while Quiñones and Joel Pantino scattered 12 and 10 markers, respectively. Solon and Rillen conspired for 16 points.

Panerio paced The Freeman-CDN with 25 points followed by Villaruel with 12. They may have faltered in their title quest, but The Freeman and CDN can still hold their heads up high as they basked in the glow of a silver-medal finish in the very first time they merged forces since the league's inception in 2002. (FREEMAN)