SLU survives gritty Admirals for third win

BOY Wonder. Follwing his 33 point output against a loss
with the UB Cardinals, rookie sensation Jervy Calibo once
again fired 41 points to lead the BCT atoms  in their first win
in the BBEAL with s 92-88 victory over UP Maroons Baguio.
Photo by Redjie Melvic Cawis 

SAINT Louis University withstood a huge run by Cordillera Career Development College in the fourth quarter to win their third straight in the men’s basketball of the ongoing Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League.

The Navigators stayed unbeaten after three games with a 100-84 victory over the slumping Admirals who suffered their second loss in the three starts despite taking an early lead late in the opening canto at the CCDC gym.

Up by 20 early in the third canto, the Admirals slowly clawed their way back into the ball game that saw them tying the ball game at 72 all with 8:28 remaining in the payoff period but Laurence Gallano fired five successive points to stop the rally and pull the Navigators away by five, 72-77.

“I told the boys not to panic, we need to step up a bit because the Admirals are stepping up also in their game,” said returning Navigators coach Tony Dela Cerna, who once steered the Admirals to its first championship way back in 2007.

Gallano, together with Alvin Ray Dumuk finished with 22 points while Raymund Austria chipped in 19 for the Navigators.

Trailing at 18-21 at the end of the first period, the Navigators pulled off a 13 -2 run to take an early 31-23 lead with 7:45 left in the first half.

The Navigators then had their biggest lead at 54-34, with 8:20 remaining in the third quarter before the Admirals unleashed a 48-18 run to tie the ball game at 72 all.

“We are relatively a young team, we lost key players this season but we are moving on and I hope we could rebuild around these young players,” said Admirals coach Delson Terceno who suffered their back-to-back defeat following a loss against Philippine Military Academy during Sunday’s game, 89-70.

Jayford Pacis had a game high of 34 points for the Admirals who is off to their worst start in years despite a huge victory over University of the Philippines-Baguio Maroons , 77-66 in the opener Saturday.

SLU rode high on their two game winning streak after opening the league with a win over Benguet State University Buffalos, 104-87 and another win against Baguio Central University Eagles, 78-71.

The Eagles however scored a victory over the PMA Cavaliers, 81-61, but lost against defending champion University of the Cordilleras Jaguars, 105-76.

University of Baguio meanwhile scored another back to back win over UP Baguio, 126-65 and PMA, 111-62.

Newcomer Baguio College of Technology Atoms barged into the win column as it leaned on the heroics of Jervy Calibo’s 41 point production in defeating UP Baguio, 92-88.

In the women’s division, defending champion SLU Lady Navigators scored a two straight wins by defeating UP, 69-39 and CCDC, 82-45.

Last year’s runner-up in UC Lady Jaguars meanwhile pulled off a convincing 119-44 victory with UB scoring a 40-36 victory over the Lady Buffalos.