RIYADH, 10 May — True to its objective of staying active in the race till the last phase of the tournament, the revitalized Manila Plaza team of Ghasan T. Attiya and Roger Bajenting coached by Armel Trambulo recorded a 30-point margin victory, 79-49 at the expense of the Steelcase Jeraisy team. The Saudi Lighting Co., Yamaha Adawliah, and the King Faisal Specialists Hospital teams strengthened their winning form and finished with 2 wins in the continuing games of the Jeraisy Group of Companies First Open Inter-Company Basketball League at the Jeraisy Staff Compound Basketball Court, Exit 7 – Riyadh every Thursday and Friday.
The Manila Plaza team notched their victory via an initial basket of determined coach/cager Zandro Herrera who was in a storming mood given a good playing time by Coach Trambulo. On top of the Manila Plaza team’s victory is Jun Soriano’s excellent performance who topped his team’s scoreboard. The troika of Ibno Sanders, Ding Natanuan, Ganie Baldomero, and the tandem of Elmer Cano and Jun Reyes proved to be effective and continued to put the momentum in their favor notwithstanding the able support of Erwin Dela Cruz, Joe Parungao, Bobby Andrada and Albert Pineda. On the other hand, Steelcase Jeraisy squad started in full force through the watchful bench tactician Rico Malaluan fielding his top caliber cagers Arman Potenciano, Gary Nava, Alvin Roxas, Mike Salvador, and Walter Aguila and later on banked on the abilities of energetic Cholo San Juan, Lito Roxas and Elmer Hinampas. Buzzer beater and slam-dunk king in the BBL Tournament Arman Potenciano led his team to work very hard to let both ends meet but their scoring spree and hard court abilities could not neutralize the combined forces of the Manila Plaza squad through the effective guidance of Coach Armel Trambulo ending the match with a 30-point Manila Plaza team advantage.
Fresh from a successful encounter, the Saudi Lighting Co. team showed another amazing performance whipping the Jeraisy Furniture team in a 63-49 team score. Eric Gamil, Genie Condinato and Bong Oraa became restless as they top scored their team with 18, 14 and 10 respectively. SLC’s center Osman Bernawe’s height became a big plus factor as he made countless blocks and rebounds during the whole match which disappointed the penetration attempts of their opponent. With two minutes left during the first quarter, Jeraisy Furniture team managed to get close with a hairline margin, 14-13 but not during the remaining quarters where they got a narrow chance albeit the teamwork efforts exerted by their key players Rino Tolentino, Khalid Hamouri, Roy Digo, Rey Valencia and Joselito De Dios. Number 17 cager Roy Digo could have highlighted more points to the Furniture team’s scoreboard given the chance to have a longer playing time. The Yamaha Adawliah group of Joe Dela Cruz and Lito Gutierrez proved to be too good to the Cotabato Hunter, 87-80. Silent achiever Julius Morales along with Jeff Baybay led their team’s scoring spree with 26 points apiece apart from Morales unstoppable with his penetration drives and Baybay flared with his blocks and rebounds. The first and second quarter favored the Adawliah team with four and seven points advantage respectively.
