CEBU, Philippines — The ARQ Builders launched a furious second-quarter attack and then overcame a spirited endgame resistance by Pure Fit Cebu to escape with a nerve-wrackig 85-82 win and claim the championship trophy of the Metro Cebu Basketball League (MCBL) Season X over the weekend at the Cebu City Sports Institute gym in Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City.
ARQ of team owner Jason Arquisola trailed by six points, 16-22, late in the opening period but detonated a devastating 30-11 bomb in the second frame to seize control of the match with a 52-37 advantage at halftime.
The Builders even stretched their lead to 19 points, 56-37 but Pure Fit charged back with savvy to crawl within just six points, 62-68, going into the final 10-minute zone of the contest.
Pure Fit stayed within striking distance but ARQ played cool under heavy fire in the dying moments of the game to grind through a rousing three-point victory.
Jude Betonio showed the way in ARQ s title glory with 16 points, two rebounds, and three steals, while Tommy Spencer Ugsimar chipped in 11 markers, one rebound, one assist, and two steals.
Carmelo Cabalhug, John Elmer Villabrille, Ian Ortega and Ajing Dimataga also made their presence felt with eight points apiece, while Jose Miguel Tabaloc added seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks for ARQ.
Jeff Michael Gudes paced Pure Fit with 24 points laced with seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Keanu Ray Limana had 15 points on top of five boards while Acer Go finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in a losing cause.