TEAM Blessel scored a come-from-behind, 85-84 win over Alberto’s Pizza for its 4th straight win and the solo lead in the ongoing Mawin’s Kitchen Basketball Cup (MKBC)-2012 First Conference tournament at the Vicente Sotto Memorial gym.
Alberto’s Pizza led by a single digit in the first period but soared in the second where it posted its biggest lead of 17 points, 55-38, at the half and kept its double-digit advantage, 72-59 going into the final 10 minutes of the contest.
However, Blessel rallied hard in the fourth to erase its 13-point 3rd quarter deficit behind James Lu and Glen Cabiluna. Then with 12 seconds remaining and Blessel trailing by two, 82-84, pointguard Kelvin Cinco nailed a crucial triple for the win.
James Lu and Kelvin Cinco led Blessel with 21 and 17 points, respectively while Robert Chua paced Alberto’s with 15 points.
Earlier, Mawin’s Kitchen crushed Dewfoam, 117-81, by far the biggest winning margin in the tourney, to improve its tally to 5-1 behind early leader Blessel’s clean 4-0 mark.
Rex Millan and Sherwin Lequit led Mawin’s Kitchen with a game-high 22 and 14 points, respectively while Jun Cabañero and Jundel Cagampang paced Dewfoam with 18 and 15 points, respectively.
BOX SCORES
MAWINS (117)- Millan 22, Sh. Lequit 14, Vallejo 13, Sanoy 12, Adriatico 11, Abellana 8, Paguntalan 8, Tabura 7, Taborada 7, Tulda 6, Sepulveda 5, Pagasian 4.
DEWFOAM (81) – Cabañero 18, Cagampang 15, Ephan 14, Quindao 11, Echavez 11, Navarro 6, Taboada 5, Rabadon 4.
Second game
BLESSEL (85)- Lu 21, Cinco 17, Cabiluna 11, Cabañero 11, Garcia 7, Ortiz 5, Arias 4, Pardenilla 3, Jumamel 2, Arellano 2, Mansubre 2.
ALBERTOS (84)- Chua 15, D. Aying 12, S. Aying 12, Getubig 11, Loot 10, Boniao 7, Capistrano 6, Labay 4, G-Boy 4, Aparri 3. / correspondent dale rosal