Niños stay unbeaten in Liga

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños stretched their undefeated run to nine games by rubbing out the EKB-Apayao Rapids, 96-90, at the start of the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III Quezon Province leg at the Quezon Convention Center Wednesday night.

The Niños of Michel J. Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba dictated the tempo from the opening buzzer. However, the Rapids managed to trim the final deficit in the fourth canto.

Mark Ababon topped the Niños with 17 points followed by last week’s MisOr Leg MVP Woodraw Enriquez with 13 points and nine assists. Ismael Junio, whose Liga career has seen stops in Batangas and Ilocos Sur, paced his new team with 16 points via four triples. Gerold Canson followed with 13 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

In the other game, host Quezon Red Oilers tallied a big win over the visiting Misamis Oriental Meteors, 102-93.

Using a swarming defense, the host Red Oilers of Gov. Raffy Nantes controlled the game from start to finish enroute to a rousing defense of its own leg before a huge hometown crowd. 

“We limited the production of their big men,” explained victorious coach Oliver Bunyi. “Hopefully, we can regain our form and start winning again.”

With key players Jorel Canizares, Ramsey Williams and Angelus Raymundo returning to the line-up after missing the Cebu City leg last month, the Red Oilers displayed the form that made them reach all their four leg championship games last conference and the National Semifinals. It also marked the franchise’s first win this conference supported by Smart, Accel, Molten, Calcium-Cee, Air 21, Gatorade and Burlington and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Canizares fired 18 points in 22 minutes of play to lead the Red Oilers. Williams dished out another all-around performance with 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Patrick Cabahug paced the Meteors of Gov. Oscar Moreno and Coach Jun Noel with 30 markers followed by Lyndon Gudez with 18.

Selected games from the Quezon Province Leg will be shown next week on Solar Sports from Wednesday to Saturday. Liga Pilipinas Classics air daily over Viva Prime Channel. More information may be downloaded at www.ligapilipinas.net.

The Scores

First game

Cebu (96) – Ababon 17, Enriquez 13, Padilla 12, Mepana 11, Dacia 11, Basco 8, Saladaga 7, Santos 5, Ybanez 5, Nailon 4, Malinao 3

Apayao (90) – Junio 16, Canson 13, Cabico 12, Vitug 10, Navarro 9, Orera 8, Canlas 7, Lujero 4, Tiongson 4, Lustestica 3, Bumanglad 2, Malabanan 2

Second game

Quezon (102) – Canizares 18, Williams 16, Magsumbol 15, Raymundo 14, Pinera 9, Labagala 8, Palaganas 7, Suguitan 6, Cacha 6, Orias 2, Macanig 1

Misamis Oriental (93) – Cabahug 30, Gudez 18, Saldua 11, Kong 6, Moreno 6, Daja 5, Sanchez 4, Mamaclay 4, Tagupa 4, Butel 3, Barcellano 2 (Liga Pilipinas Media Bureau). – THE FREEMAN