JOHN Pajantoy, one of Cebu’s rising collegiate basketball player, unloaded 16 of his 20 points in the payoff period to lead Team Olkas to a tight 80-75 win over Ilihan at the start of the 1st Lou Ornopia Basketball Tournament last Saturday at the barangay Calambua open court in San Remigio town, northern Cebu.
Although it was Jei Dablo who top-scored for Olkaz with 36 points, it was Pajantoy, a stalwart of the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras, who delivered the points that made the difference.
Pajantoy made a lot of noise in last year’s Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. basketball tournament, where SWU rode on his heroics to bag the championship trophy at the expense of the multi-titled University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers.
Ronald Romagos led the way for Ilihan with 31 points.
In the other game, the Big Boss of San Miguel dominated the contest from the get go to tramoke Lamac Niños, 73-51.
Down 14-15 at the end of the opening period, San Miguel staged a 22-14 to go up, 36-29, at the trun. San Miguel then used a 19-9 tear in the fourth to seal the 22-point rout.
The month-long tilt, one of the the highlights of Calambua’s annual fiesta celebration in honor of its patron San Vicente Ferrer on April 13, offers close to P30,000 in cash prize to the top fnishers.
Handled by league commissioner Gumersindo Jubay, Jr., the games have Rabbi Aranduga, Dondon Ferolino and Shonnel Patalinghug as referees./EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CALVIN D. CORDOVA