Teams Hotel, Delta nip rivals in CEKALCO caging

TEAM Hotel tripped Alpha, 99-94, for its fourth win in five games (4-1) to snare the early lead while Team Delta stunned Team Echo, 99-96, Friday night for its 3rd win in four outings (3-1) in the ongoing elimination round of the 2nd Center Katipunan A. Lopez Christian Organization (CEKALCO) 2012 basketball tournament.

Hotel and Alpha ended the first canto with a 26-all deadlock but the latter staged a blistering 19-9 run in the second to erect a 10-point lead, 45-35, at the half.

However, Team Hotel responded with a scorching 40-25 run in the third behind Kelvin Cinco who scored 21 of his 47 points in that stretch to take control of the match.

Aside from Cinco’s tournament-high 47 points, Team Hotel also got 22 and 12 markers from Dennis Saceda and Mario Dosal. Kenneth Beltran led Alpha with 21 points while Ariel Navarez and Garlit Arong chipped in 14 points each.

Earlier, Team Delta survived Team Echo’s sizzling third quarter performance where the latter outscored the former, 28-18 to erect a,  77-71 advantage entering the final quarter where Delta launched a 28-19 run for the three-point win.

Julius Gutierez scattered a game-high 41 points to led Team Delta while Donald Catong paced Echo with 28 markers.

BOX SCORES

DELTA (99)- Gutierez 41, Acosta 20, Estrada 16, Sinag 6, Sameon 6, Gonzaga 4, Dumduma 4, Ho 2.

ECHO (96)- Catong 28, Ji. Villarosa 21, Solana 16, Romariz 9, Macalisang 7, Lanticse 4, Yamoay 4, Petracorta 4, Ja. Desoyo 3.

2nd game

HOTEL (99)- Cinco 47, Saceda 22, Dosal 12, Valderama 7, Tautho 6, Navarez 3, Escolar 2.

ALPHA (94)-Beltran 21, Arong 14, Navarez 14, D. Desoyo 12, Despi 10, Templa 10, Tabasa 6, Billiones 4, Cabalda 2, Lawrence 1. /Correspondent Dale Rosal