Toyota clinches Inter-Company B crown in OFBL

ALJ took the first part of a potential championship double when its Toyota team won the Inter-Company Bona fide B title via a sweep of the best-of-three series against PSI last Friday in the Boy Teves Basketball Tournament organized by Overseas Filipino Basketball League (OFBL) at Timeout Sports Academy Gymnasium on Television Street Ghulail District on the outskirts of Jeddah.
ALJ’s Inter-Hospital team began its own championship battle against King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital yesterday with the second game in the series set for today. Both ALJ teams are coached by Camelo Ibrahim Mendez with Noel Sun the manager at Toyota and Jimmmy Abdullah Beltran at ALJ Hospital.
Despite missing the services of key player Montano Dela Cruz, Toyota worked together as a team to complete the sweep with an 89-79 victory in the 3rd OFBL Inter-Company Bona fide B evening division. Paul Taguba and Llamado blended well to carry their team to victory, scoring 17 and 14 points respectively. They got vital support from Borcegue and Arania who both had 10 points to complete the Toyota quartet in double figures, while the rest of the players also made valuable contributions offensively and defensively.
Toyota displayed its dominance throughout the match, as it dictated the tempo of the game early on, finishing the first quarter with 9 points advantage and maintaining a comfortable distance in the succeeding quarters. PSI made no significant resistance, which enabled the eventual champion to wrap up the game with little trouble.
“This is the result of the collective effort of each one of them, who played in solidarity as one team,” said the winning coach Melendez. “The boys were really committed to pull this off, which they did, and I’m proud of them,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Gharib handed defending champion GTC Batang Pier its first defeat in 9 outings in the tournament, 57-48, in the first game of the best-of-three for the Inter-Company Bona fide A championship.
Mahmoud Gharib felt the absence of its main man J. Tudla as the team started slow and fell behind by 13 points at the interval.
But M-Gharib was recharged as Vergara stepped on the gas to propel their run in the third quarter that ended in a 37-37 deaddlock.
M-Gharib extended its rally in the payback quarter as Baniel launched a 3-pointer to start the period followed by back-to-back baskets that sent them on the way to victory.
Baniel top-scored for M-Gharib with 13 points, while Vergara had 12. They were helped out by Sidlacan with 10 points, Armentia 8 and Valaba with 6 points.