Cebu also reigns in PBL-Liga

MANILA, Philippines - M. Lhuillier KP-Cebu enhanced its status as one of the premier amateur basketball squads yesterday by ruling the first leg of the Tournament of the Philippines – the joint venture of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and Liga Pilipinas.

The Cebu Niños overpowered the Ascof Lagundi Cough Busters, 83-70, for the championship at the Emilio Aguinaldo College gym.

Counting their 21-game winning run in the Liga Conference III last year, the Niños stretched their streak to 25 – the longest in recent history.

Unlike in its first three games, Cebu seized the initiative early behind the power plays of Marlon Basco and the torrid sniping of Stephen Padilla and Bruce Dacia before turning on the heat in the second quarter to rip the game wide open.

Basco was almost unstoppable as he exploded for 25 points while Padilla, who bagged the MVP plum, and Dacia combined for 26 points as the Niños beat the Cough Busters for the second straight day.

Coach Yayoy Alcoseba and his chargers secured 15 points in sweeping the leg.

“I believe we’re going to play much better now that we got our conditioning back,” added Alcoseba, who also drew big performance from veteran guard Warren Ybanez.

Padilla had his lowest output of the leg with just 12 points but came away with three triples in the payoff period. This came after sitting most of the third canto that saw the Pascual Laboratories franchise pull within 47-53 after falling behind by 17 points in the second quarter, 27-44.

The next leg will be held in General Santos City where boxing idol and newly elected Sarangani congressman Manny Pacquiao is expected to play for his team.

In the first game, Treston Laguna outlasted Ani-FCA, 94-87, in overtime for third place.