Pepsi, Tropapips, Butler win OFBL openers

The Overseas Filipino Basketball League (OFBL) 2012 First Conference got off to roaring start last Friday at Time-out Sports Academy on Television Street, Ghulail District outside of Jeddah.
Highlighting the grand opening to OFBL’s maiden tournament was the traditional parade of teams in their resplendent uniforms.
OFBL Chairman Salvador “Boy” Teves welcomed the teams and guests and thanked them for helping make the event a reality.
Among the guests during the opening day were Mohamed Bayoumi, a friend of the Filipino community and recipient of Presidential Banaag Award, and Jimmy Abdullah Beltran, an active supporter of the basketball community and former executive director of JSO (Jameel Sports Organization).
The afternoon opening ceremony followed a separate kickoff to the Friday Morning Division in which Pepsi won its first game against Saco 77-76.
Taguiam was named Best Player of the game with 17 points, Trazo added 15 and Salazar 11 in the come-from-behind victory for Pepsi.
Borja scored 22, Suple added 15 and Segue 12 for SACO which had a tremendous game yet can’t buy a win because of swarming defense applied by Pepsi especially in the last three minutes of the contest.
“It was our defense that gave us victory, the role players are very intense to play good defense against the best players of Saco” said Pepsi coach Erwin Carpena.
In the second game in the same division, Tropapips brought down Event Mall 84-73.
Event Mall never had a chance to lead in the game. Mohammed of Tropapips was named Best Player scoring 20 points and spiking his performance with tremendous rebounding and shot blocking skills. Dela Cruz added 15, Defensor added 13 and Tayam 12 for Tropapips.
“Defense is the key to good offense, the reason why opposing players can’t get their game going because of our good defense against them,” said coach Tropapips coah Rocky Gil.
In the evening session, Butler joined the list of first winners in the OFBL by beating Jollibee 82-62.
In the early going Jollibee enjoyed an A game courtesy of Moymoy Bantillan who scored 13 of his 23 points in the first quarter alone but then he failed to get ample support from his teammates so that Butler pulled away by 9 points at the end of the first half.
Moymoy’s younger brother tried to support him with three consecutive shots from beyond the arc but still Jollibee could not match the intensity of Butler which drew 25 points from Sacramento, 18 from Dela Paz and 15 from Apostol.
In the morning opening ceremony, Saco was awarded Best Team in Uniform and Pepsi Cola Bugshan Best Muse. In the evening session Compass Ocean Logistics was the Best Team in Uniform awardee in Inter-Company Non Bonafide and Jollibee in Inter-Commercial Bonafide. Best Muses accolades went to Zamil and G4S teams.
OFBL would like to thank the following: Al-Zugbi Sports Tailoring, Pepsi Cola Bugshan, Amaia by Avida Land, Art’s Cuisine, Basketball Referees Group (BRG), Pinoy Photographers Club and Time-out Sports Academy.
– With Input from Janus Napuecas Gella
The scores:
Pepsi (77) Taguiam 17, Trazo 15, Salazar 11, Estinor 9, Bacsal 7, Ortiz 6, Brosoto 2, Magnaye 2, Tondo 2
SACO (76) Borja 22, Suple 15, Segue 12, Dublin 10, Flores 9, Abrigado 2, Ramos 2, Luna 2, Caudia 2
Tropapips (84) Mohammed 20, Dela Cruz 15, Tayam 14, Defensor 13, E. Gadingan 10, Dayrit 7, Baluyot 4, Arana 4
Event Mall (73) Pipoy 10, Louie 9, Razal 8, Harot 8, Castillo 7, Vallejo 6, Mike 6, Bristol 5, Antaporda 5, Velasco 2, Palaquat 2, Ebcabo 1
Butler (82) Sacramento 25, Dela Paz 18, Apostol 15, Labao 5, Dela Guerra 5, Delos Santos 5, Balatan 3, Metran 2, Labao 2
Jollibee (62) M. Bantillan 23, Bantillan 13, Afable 10, Campanero 8, Ordiano 3, Bulaong 2