Prime Asia now 6-0
Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. – Gaisano-UC vs. Kia Motors-CIT-U
6:45 p.m. – Lion Tiger-USJ-R vs. Prime Asia-UV
Prime Asia-University of the Visayas hiked its record up to a league-best 6-0 (win-loss) after defeating Kia Motors-Cebu Institute of Technology University, 96-87, in an intense match marred by a bloody incident yesterday in the 6th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. Partner’s Cup at the Cebu Coliseum.
Prime Asia used an incident at the third period buzzer that saw wingman Francisco Arong get ejected as fuel for their fire as they started the final canto on an 18-4 run, which spelled the difference in the game.
Arong got the boot from the match after he elbowed Kia’s Axel Rabaya in the head, an incident that got the latter bloodied on the eyebrow. The Kia camp got enraged by the development and several supporters even tried to get near the Prime Asia bench to get a piece of Arong.
The intensity for Prime Asia, though, got cranked up a notch as they employed a scrambling full-court press that debilitated Kia’s offense. In turn, Prime-UV got easy baskets. Eman Calo and Wowie Escosio were the main catalysts during that run as they combined for 12 in that sizzling stretch which pushed them ahead, 84-63.
Kia Motors tried to get back into the game and got within eight, 79-87, after a medium-range jumper by Allen Dimco with 2:29 left.
But Prime Asia responded with aplomb and got six straight points from Rene Saycon that restored order on the way to the victory.
Escosio and Calo each had 18 for Prime Asia while Saycon finished with 10 markers. Kia Motors, which fell to 3-4, got 23 from Floyd Taboada.
