Taguig wins Liga opener vs Cebu 5

TAGUIG CITY, Philippines – Host Forward Taguig gave expansion team Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue a rude 75-66 welcome at the start of the Taguig City Leg of the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III at the C. P. Tinga Memorial Hall Wednesday evening.

Making their debut in the community-based league presented by Smart and backed by Accel, Molten, Calcium-Cee, Gatorade, Air21 and Molten, the Mandaue quintet of businessman Jose Soberano managed to tie the game for the third and last time on a triple by Ronald Bucao, 65-65, with three minutes to play after trailing by double digits in the first half.

But the hosts, playing before a huge opening day crowd, regrouped in time to preserve the win. Taguig’s Lou Gatumbato and Nat Cruz combined for the game’s next five points as Mandaue’s offense suddenly went cold, with Enrico Llanto accounting for a lone free throw. Paul Reguera then sealed the win with a triple at the 20-second mark, 73-66. Harold Sta. Cruz settled the final tally with a steal and lay-up at the buzzer.

Cruz, a recruit from the Ilocos Sur Bravehearts, topped Taguig with 13 points followed by Gatumbato with 12. Former Cebu Ninos star Jercules Tangkay paced Mandaue with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Jerome Cenita added 13 markers.

In the first game, the Smart-Pampanga Buddies flirted with disaster but held on to put away the gritty Zamboanga Uno Latinos, 96-81.

Leading by as many as 16 points at the halftime break, 50-34, the Buddies allowed the Latinos to slowly inch closer. A barrage of triples from Jonathan Parreno and Christopher Concepcion put the Latinos at their closest, 79-86, and 2:37 remaining.

A 10-0 run powered by Niño Gelig, Adonis Sta. Maria and Al Magpayo preserved the win as the Buddies’ defense also managed to hold the Latinos scoreless for the next two minutes.

Gelig led the Buddies with 15 points while new recruits Claiford Arao, Chester Taylor and brothers Anthony and Alwin Espiritu all submitted 13 points each. Parreno was the high man for the Latinos with 19 points followed by Concepcion and Jayson Rebollos with 16 apiece.

The games of Liga Pilipinas Conference III are shown over Solar Sports every Wednesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. and every Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. Selected games are also shown over Viva Prime Channel.