CECABA All-Stars rout Club Monday; LISO selection dodges upset axe to go 4-0 in Executive's Cup

The Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA) All-Stars feasted on Club Monday's monumental endgame collapse to fashion out a 76-60 romp over last year's runner-up in the 2005 Executive's Cup basketball tournament last Sunday at the City Sports Club of Cebu gym.

In the main game, defending champion Liloanon Sports Organization (LISO) selection repulsed a spirited resistance by the gritty Guardo-Rama Boys Barkada to hack out a 76-72 victory, its fourth straight in as many games.

The CECABA All-Stars somewhat hit two birds with a single shot because aside from bouncing back from a previous setback to LISO, they also came up with a sweet revenge over Club Monday, which scored a 2-0 sweep over the Easternians last season - both in lopsided fashion, 94-76 and 100-80.

Great team effort vaulted the CECABA All-Stars to their third win in four starts, although they benefited largely on Club Monday's sudden breakdown in the final quarter.

The unpredictable Wilson Yu relishes in his finest game in the league, so far, finishing with a career-high 22 points on top of 16 rebounds, while power-playing center Sammy Sia posted 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals for the CECABA All-Stars.

Joel Chan was similarly impressive, cashing in 12 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and four steals, Edwin Kaw added nine points, four assists and three blocks, while Zotico Tan scored only eight but dished out six assists and collected three steals for the CECABA stars.

Top hitman Chester Cokaliong was held off to only nine points, but drilled in a pair of meaningful 3-pointers late in the third quarter, the first gave the CECABA All-Stars their first taste of lead, 45-44.

Club Monday regained its lead, 48-40, but Cokaliong knocked in another triple to knot the count at 48-all.

Club Monday proceeded into the payoff period with a 50-48 edge only to flirt with disaster from that point on.

As their foes messed up and could hardly execute their offense, the CECABA All-Stars deftly capitalized on the situation by unleashing a furious game-closing 28-10 assault that taken Club Monday aback at the final buzzer.

The CECABA All-Stars now share the second spot with San Carlos Boys High Alumni Basketball Association (SCBHABA) on similar 3-1 win-loss slates, while Club Monday, led by Andres Seno with 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals, fell to 3-2.

On the other hand, LISO summoned all the strength it could muster to overcome a tough challenge mounted by Guardo-Rama Boys in the closing minutes of the game.

Philip Oncines topped LISO with 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Edger Ybañez chipped in 11 markers and five rebounds.

Guardo-Rama Boys courageously fought back from 18-point down in the third quarter, but fell short in the end to absorb its third consecutive defeat.

Daril Yuvallos topped Guardo-Rama Boys with 23 points, while Reynaldo Zamora had 21 points, 14 rebounds and five steals, but they had little help from their teammates.

The scores

First game

CECABA All-Stars (76) - W. Yu 22, Sia 16, Chan 12, Cokaliong 9, Kaw 9, Z. Tan 8

Club Monday (60) - Seno 17, Alfeche 14, Nardo 14, Del Mar 5, Fernandez 4, Sepe 2, Navarro 2, Monterroyo 2

Second game

LISO selection (76) - Oncines 15, Ybañez 11, Torlao 9, Maglasang 8, Desiderio 6, Fernandez 6, Sevilla 5, Soliman 5, Jugalbot 4, Pepito 3, Bio 2, Bantilan 2

Guardo-Rama Boys (72) - Yuvallos 23, Zamora 21, Borres 8, De la Calzada 6, Lim 6, M. Rama 6, Basamot 2.