Lexmark boots Telstra out of E-League for Basketball
A magnificent run finally came to an end when the Telstra-Teletech Boomerangs ran smack into a brick wall, losing badly to the formidable Lexmark Stallions, 60-90, last Saturday at the start of the Elite Classic playoffs of the 11th City Sports Club-Cebu (CSC-C) E-League for Basketball’s Elite Classic playoffs last Sunday at the CSC-C Gym.
With four players scoring in double figures, Lexmark proved too much for EVO League champion Telstra-Teletech as the Stallions remained unbeaten heading into the Elite Classic Final Four.
Lexmark will next play the Convergys Converters in a best-of-three semifinal series, while facing off in the other series will be the Accenture Sharks and the defending champions Teleperformance All-Stars.
Sylvester Millevo and the towering Franco Angelo Cipriano led the 30-point massacre by firing 18 and 17 points, respectively. Cipriano also piled up 13 rebounds, four blocked shots, three steals and two assists.
Ralph Loren Martinez added 14 markers, while Jan Oniel Sahilan contributed 10 markers for Lexmark, which has yet to lose in the tournament with its ninth straight win.
The Stallions earned the top seeding in the Elite Classic playoffs by sweeping the eight-game elimination round.
As expected, Sam Jordan Hermoz topped the Boomerangs with a game-high 30 points but didn’t get his double-double game as he had just six rebounds.
Jaygard Vios was the only other Boomerang in double figures with 13 points.
The Boomerangs made it to the Elite Classic playoffs when it survived the Supportsave Dragons in their EVO League best-of-three championship series.
The series went the full route before the Boomerangs got through. The Boomerangs survived another do-or-die when they dispatched Elite Classic wildcard qualifier Sykes Pioneers in a knockout match that earned them the right to face the Stallions.
But Lexmark proved too much for Telstra-Teletech as the Stallions were quick to dominate their opponent and led big at the half, 42-27.
Lexmark tore the game apart further in the third behind a 21-16 run and finished off Telstra-Teletech with a merciless 27-17 attack in the final stanza.
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