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Talisay Takes Game 1 in South Division Finals
Height is might in basketball and Talisay City proved just that.
The taller Aquastars overcame a 10-point deficit to demolish the Sibonga Pillars, 93-70, in Game 1 of their best-of-three final series in the South Division of the 2nd Governor’s Cup Intercities/Municipalities Basketball Tournament Wednesday night at the Talisay Sports Complex.
With homecrowd support on their side, Talisay was expected to breeze through the series opener but the resilient Pillars ruffled the Aquastars’ feathers in the second period and middle of the third before escaping with a 23-point blowout.
The Aquastars can wrap up the series on Friday, July 6, when the game shifts to Sibonga town.
Image source: www.cebu.gov.ph
Trailing by 10, 41-51, midway through the third period after a dismal showing in the first two quarters, the Aquastars got back into the groove and staged a 10-0 blast to tie the count, 51-51, with 2:59 to go.
Although Sibonga managed to keep the high ground at the end of the third period, 60-56, the Aquastars had already gained momentum as they continued to unleash repeated runs from the start of the final frame amid the Pillars’ defensive meltdown.
As Talisay tightened its defense in the windup, Sibonga’s offensive arsenals, which kept them afloat early on, began to conk out as the Aquastars outscored the Pillars, 23-10, in the fourth period.
Jay Deiparine, who led Talisay’s balanced scoring, fired 28 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter where the team needed it most.
Ronan Briones contributed 15, Elmer Echavez added 14, Kendrick Abarquez scored 12 and Raffy Bacasmas chipped in 10.
John Bryle Cuyos fired 18 markers for Sibonga while Christian James Nobleza and Ehman Suarez added 14 and 12, respectively.
How they scored:
Talisay (93) Deiparine 28, Briones 15, Echavez 14, Abarquez 12 Bacasmas 10, Taburnal 9, Beduya 2, Castro 2, Minerva 2.
Sibonga (70)-Cuyos 18, Nobleza 14, Suarez 12, Sonsona 11, Rosales 10, Ignacio 4, Bungabong 1
