Stream hands Convergys first defeat in E-League

DEFENDING champion Stream Ingenyouity showed its serious title-retention bid when it downed the erstwhile unbeaten Convergys Wolves, 67-65, in a northern conference battle of the 2012 Sun Cellular E-League for Basketball at the City Sports Club-Cebu Gym.

The win allowed Stream to tie the Aegis at the number one spot in the northern division standings as the two teams both have 7-1 (win-loss) cards.

The three-time champions Wolves went into the game looking to stay as the only unbeaten team but couldn’t overcome Stream’s inspired play and instead absorbed their first loss in seven games.

Edwin Bibera topped Stream with 13 points, while Edward Castañeda, Dino Flores, Benjie Mancao, Michael Recla and Fidel Tejam contributed at least eight points each.

Kristian Tapic finished with 18 points while Ignatius Mark Loyola added 12 for the Wolves, who tied the contest after three quarters of play, 51-51, but was outscored in the fourth, 14-16.

In the other northern division game, the Xlibris Publishers nailed their close win as they escaped the 1&1 Marauders, 66-63.

Martin Ian De Guzman fired 19 points to lead the Publishers’ second win in eight games.

The Marauders, who crashed to their sixth loss in 10 games, were led by Orland Bastida and John Paul Talan, who had 21 and 10 markers, respectively.

In the lone southern division game, the Teleperformance Lions used a searing second quarter assault to dispatch the Supportsave Jaguars, 63-56.

The Lions outscored the Jaguars in the second period, 15-8, to pad a slim 17-15 lead to a sizeable 32-23 lead, going into the final half. Jose Romer Padigos scored 14 points and Marco Antonio Real had 12 as the Lions improved to 2-5.

Marck Ryan Campomanes scattered 18 points and Janille Kristianne Bantilan wound up with 11  in the Jaguars’ fifth defeat in seven outings. /EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CALVIN D. CORDOVA