Smart-Cagayan, Grande prevail in Nokia caging

MANILA, Philippines - Smart-Cagayan de Oro and Oro Grande drew first blood in the opening games of the Nokia National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) D-League held recently at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City.

Marlou Mabanta had 12 points while Vovan Palomar and Mark Hans Sabal had 11 apiece as Oro Grande routed B-MEG-Cagayan de Oro, 91-70, in the first game of the leg backed by Nokia Philippines and TAO Corp. under the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas headed by Manny Pangilinan and executive director Noli Eala.

Rhodelle Nagac topscored with 22 points while BJ Aquino and Kurt Acaylar added 13 and 8, respectively for the losers in the 18-and-under tournament also backed by San Miguel Purefoods Company, Smart Communications and Burlington.

In the second game, Smart-Cagayan de Oro bested Nutri-C with a score of 81-78 as Jiovanni Jalaon posted 18 points while JK Casino and Kim Paza tallied 13 and 7, respectively. Karl Daigdigan, Ranz Ostrea and Bonn Ugay had 15, 14 and 12, respectively for Nutri-C.

In Batangas, Batang BBL-UB and Smart-Lasal flexed just enough muscle to maintain 1-2 positions in the beginning of the second round of the NBTC D-League (Batangas City Leg) recently at the De La Salle Lipa Sentrum.

Batang BBL UB posted a 70-53 win over Ulam King -STC for a 4-0 record as Charles Valenzuela and John Arellano contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively, followed by   Marden Marasigan’s 10 points. Kevin Medrano, also an NBTC veteran playing for Ulam King-STC (0-4), tallied a personal best of 19 points, 14 in the final quarter, but got little scoring support from his teammates.

Point guard Patrick Calingasan and power-forward Philip Isana combined for a total 24 points to preside over Smart-Lasal’s 90-65 massacre over B-Meg-SBC. David Panganiban was the only B-Meg Dynamic submitting a double-digit score at 15 points. Smart-Lasal now had a 3-1 record while B-MEG SBC holds a 1-3 card.