Orione shocks Becchi, earns playoff ticket

CEBU, Philippines- Jules Asignar played with full confidence on both ends of the court to lead Team St. Louis John Orione past Team Becchi Village, 72-57,  in the Don Bosco @ 200 Basketball Tournament last Saturday night  at Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC).

Named after a sickly student who got miraculously cured the moment Don Bosco died and thereafter started his own mission helping orphans and the poor, Orione further earned a playoff ticket.

Holding a 3-2 win-loss card, Orione is assured of the second place under Group B if Team Don Aloïs Mertens wins and gains a 4-1 card against St. Callistus Caravario.

 Should Caravario win against Mertens and result in a quadruple tie, Orione and Caravario would advance having won twice among the four, with Orione taking the top spot having previously defeated Caravario.

 By quotient system, Orione still holds the advantage having won by wide margins.

Becchi led in the first quarter, 16-18, but it began getting electric shocks when Asignar and playing team manager Klein Baladya fired triples with Britz Boncalon closing the second quarter with back-to-back triples.

Up by two at the half, 34-32, Asignar further blasted with two triples that triggered a 15-4 run in the first seven minutes of the third quarter that ended with Orione leading by nine points, 54-45.

Asignar further erupted in the fourth quarter, pouring 10 of his 26 total points in six minutes while getting busy on defense until he got fouled out as he blocked a drive by Daryl Diamante with four minutes left in the game.

 Kenneth Rey Marilao and John Lyndon Fermo scored 15 and 14 points in leading the frustrating game for Becchi that failed to find themselves in synchrony as they used to in previous games.

 Meanwhile, Team Blessed Laura Vicuña marked its only win in the tournament by providing the DBTC Passarelle Greywolves another set of lessons in court, 66-51. (FREEMAN)