Mortaseal stays unbeaten, grabs solo lead in CABC 2nd Mortabond Cup
A highlight from the CABC 2nd Mortabond Cup game last Sunday. | CABC photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mortaseal tightened its grip on the top spot after edging Mortaflow, 69-64, to seize the solo lead in the ongoing Cebu Architects Basketball Club (CABC) 2nd Mortabond Cup last Sunday, March 30, at the Benedicto College gymnasium.
The hard-fought victory extended Mortaseal’s unbeaten streak to four games, keeping them firmly atop the standings.
Reddick Palmitos spearheaded Mortaseal’s charge with 14 points, three assists, and one steal. Klein Baladya and Ferdinand Tiro provided steady support with 10 points apiece, while Jhazriel Jumola dominated inside with eight points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Jolas Lastimosa and Kurt Damandaman also chipped in eight points each to maintain Mortaseal’s balanced attack.
Despite Mortaflow’s struggles, John Buhawe delivered an impressive performance, finishing with a game-high 20 points and 14 rebounds. However, his stellar effort was in vain as Mortaflow dropped to a 1-3 (win-loss) record, slipping to fifth place.
Buck Sia contributed 12 points, while Luijay Boholano added 10, but their combined efforts couldn’t prevent Mortaflow from succumbing to Mortaseal’s relentless pressure.
In another thrilling matchup, Strakgrout eked out a 75-74 victory over Lite, fueled by a well-balanced offense.
Elmo Ubanan led the way with 19 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and one assist in a standout all-around performance. James Airo Alob added 14 points, while Criz Matunog and Jojo Aneslagon chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.
Lite, despite being undermanned, put up a valiant effort with three players scoring 20 or more points. Miguel Cenabre paced Lite with a double-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Russ San Mateo fired 23 points, while Jonas Panerio added 22, but their efforts weren’t enough to avoid their third loss in four outings.
Strakgrout finally broke through with their first win after four games, while Lite is now entangled in a three-way tie with Mortaflow and EZBond at 1-3.
Premium capped off the day’s action with a dominant 85-65 rout of EZBond.
Mark Paradero led the charge with 17 points, while Chester Hinagdanan added 13. Kimboy Marilao and Pido Sanchez contributed 11 points apiece, and Darren Morandante chipped in 10 in an evenly spread offense.
For EZBond, Justin Aspacio put up 13 points, while Kim Rebosura and Fritz Villacorta each had 12, but their efforts fell short as they absorbed their second loss in four games.
With the win, Premium improved to 3-1, securing second place, while EZBond fell to third with an even 2-2 record.
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