JEDDAH, 1 February — Bentley’s Tea and Fujitec bounced back from last week’s losses while Al-Hekma displayed extraordinary might as they scored morale-boosting victories in the single-round robin semifinals of the 8th Abdullatif Jameel (ALJ) invitational basketball tournament.

Bentley’s Tea (Al-Naghi) relied on their deep bench as they repeated over Al-Mabani 85-73 with four tea makers hitting double digits. Bentley’s relied on its top gunners who conspired to erect an imposing 68-49 lead while limiting Al-Mabani’s main man, Edwin Gadingan to only 11 points up to the third quarter.

Al-Naghi relaxed a bit in the fourth quarter where Gadingan piled up 13 points for the losing Al-Mabani team of Ed Diaz but the 24-17 fourth quarter rally was not enough to overhaul team manager Aldine Mina’s yellow shirts. Bautista led the winners with 18 points, 14 of them scored in the second and third quarter. Upcoming star Aaron Mayo had 8 first quarter points and finished the game with 17. Reyes and Solis added 13 and 11.

Gadingan and Jason Villanueva led Al-Mabani with 23 and 17 points.

The trio of Jong Rapada, Alvaro and Demetrio found their offensive bearing rolling once more for Fujitec as they combined for 62 points in a 77-65 victory over Sharbatly. Fujitec’s victory was decided in the third quarter where they outscored the fruit vendors by thirteen points 20-7. Laurente led Seifalah Sharbatly’s squad with 17 points. Tacuboy and Remigio submitted 13 and 12.

Shouts of "Viva Zapanta!" should have reverberated in Al-Hekma’s overpowering 98-60 win over Toyota Camry with Zapanta playing his best thus far at ALJ hitting 29 points including 14 in the fourth for the blue and purple high school squad which enjoys full-backing from their school principal Mrs. Belma Regis. Their victory came as a fitting pat to Al-Hekma basketball varsitarians’ special weekday treat to the school’s basketball enthusiasts.

Hernandez and Ortiz were important cogs in Al-Hekma’s onslaught as they combined for 30 points for coach Abel Chavenia and team co-ordinator King in drubbing Camry who were led by Belen with 17 points.

Towering six-foot-two Edwin Gadingan was unstoppable hitting 49 points, the highest individual score thus far in the tourney as Toyota Echo sounded the horn of victory for the second successive time drubbing Toyota Century 84-67 to account for another lopsided match in the ALJ inter-division.

A rose is a rose by any other name and for Goody-Basamh Trading, a win is a win no matter how it mattered. That is why when their opponent Sadafco decided to walk out of the game trailing 64-68 with still 6:18 to go in the fourth quarter, Goody chalked up their second victory in as many outings.

Roland Centeno was tigerish in offense for Basamh Trading with 37 points while Abdullah and Manansala were at the forefront of the dairymakers’ offensive scheme hitting 14 points apiece in the aborted match.

The game was closely fought with Goody having just a two-point lead at the end of the third and had a 9-7 lead in the fourth when Saudi national junior cager Abdullah triggered the walkout whose angry outburst could not be contained. Indignant and frustrated of what he felt were one-sided calls of the referees, Abdullah threw temper tantrums and the whole Sadafco team rallied behind him.

Royal Blood’s continued march to the top with only five men gracing its line-up but lined up win number two on a 68-54 spanking of KUDU Food masters.