UE Pages toy with Maroons, top NYBL elims

MANILA, Philippines - The University of the East Pages, priming up for the incoming UAAP basketball season, crushed the University of the Philippines Baby Maroons, 94-60, to top the elimination round of the National Youth Basketball League yesterday at the San Lorenzo gym.

Five-foot-eight Shervin Gutierrez fired 24 points, including seven triples, as the Pages of coach Mark Herrera led from start to finish to top the elimination round of the eight-team competition with seven straight wins.

Isiah Banawa, also playing four full quarters, banged in 18 points while Paul Jerome Carpio had 14 points, which went with four rebounds and four steals in three quarters of action. Carlos Dizon had 12.

The tournament is one of a series of tune-up tournaments lined up by Herrera, also the national 13-under head coach and two-time Talk N Text-Quezon City junior PBA champion mentor, to hone up the Pages for a big finish in the 2009-10 UAAP season.

The Pages finished seventh last season with a dismal 2-12 win-loss mark.

UP finished fourth with a 4-3 card behind Benigno Aquino HS (6-1) and National College of Business and Arts (5-2).

The Pages meet the Maroons anew in the cross-over semifinal. The other semifinal pits NCBA against BAHS. The winners advance to the final.