STREAM Ingenyouity took a giant step towards its quest for a back-to-back title after it advanced to the northern conference finals with a 58-47 win over the ousted Calltek Trojans last Saturday in Game 2 of their best-of-three semifinal series at the City Sports Club-Cebu Gym.
Roderick Mangubat was the lone Stream player to score in twin digits with 13 points but he had six teammates pitching in at least five points, which proved more than enough to ice the win.
Christian Judilla and Aerl Generaldo led the Trojans with 14 and 12 markers, respectively.
Duplicating its 71-54 Game One victory, Stream took control of the match behind a 15-4 run in the second quarter that saw them turning an 11-14 deficit into a 26-18 halftime lead.
Stream next faces the winner in the other northern conference semifinal duel between the Aegis Vipers and the Eperformax Reds. That series is tied at one-game apiece after the Vipers took Game 2, 62-56.
Bouncing back from their 76-80 debacle in Game One, the Reds leaned on Dean Junber Escalon and Ryan Veloso, who combined for 39 points to lead the series-tying victory.
Robert Gilo and Raymond Dennis Tan led the Reds with 10 points each.
In the southern conference, the Accenture Sharks drew first blood in their own race-to-two series against the Sykes Pioneers via a lopsided 72-50 decision.
Archie Brian Vincent Batua fired 25 points, Ryan Edward Llanos pile up 17, while Ildefonso Bulangis, Jr. had 11 for the Sharks./EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CALVIN D. CORDOVA