Core Pacific Group sweeps Division A, clinches top spot in final four
Afshin Ghassemi of Core Pacific Group goes for a layup during their SHAABAA Season 27 game. | SHAABAA photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Core Pacific Group ended their Division A campaign with a dominant 4-0 sweep after routing Yangtze Ice, 92-54, in the ongoing Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association (SHAABAA) Season 27 on Sunday, June 30, at the Magis Eagles Arena in Mandaue City.
The win positioned Core Pacific Group at the top of the team standings in Division A. They will rematch Yangtze Ice in the final four as the latter finished fourth in the standings.
Afshin Ghassemi top-scored for Core Pacific Group with 19 points, adding six rebounds and two steals.
Dave Lim and Pierre Mella finished with double-doubles for the winning squad. Lim tallied 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Mella had 14 points and 10 boards. Jeremy Ryan Huang added 18 points.
Nanding Lim scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Yangtze Ice ended the elimination round with a 1-3 (win-loss) record.
In the other Division A game, G Mall of Cebu manhandled SHS-AdC Faculty, 105-53, behind Derick Mangubat’s 22-point outing.
Mangubat added five boards, two assists, and four steals as G Mall of Cebu finished the elimination round with a 3-1 record and will face 2Kcares.org (2-2) in the other Division A final four pairing.
Tonyson Luther Lee chipped in 18 points and 12 boards for G Mall of Cebu, while Mark Sy had 16 points and 13 rebounds. SHS-AdC’s Jasper Salomeo scored 15 points in their losing effort.
DIVISION C FINAL FOUR
Meanwhile, Cebu Landmasters/CloudKart-Batch 2014, Xchange Forex-Batch 2018, and FADI-Batch 2021 completed the Division C final four cast after grabbing wins last Sunday.
Batch 2014 sealed the elimination round with a 6-1 record after clobbering Bright Lamps N’ Style-Batch 2022, 89-49.
Popoy Navarro led Batch 2014 with 16 points, seven boards, six assists, and two steals.
Batch 2014 and the defending champions, Nest Workspaces-Batch 2013, are tied at 6-1 in the Division C standings. However, Batch 2013 ended as the top seed after beating Batch 2014 in the elimination round.
Batch 2013 wrapped up the elimination round by winning over Global Star Motors-Batch 2020, 77-58.
Fletcher Galvez and Rendell Senining led Batch 2013’s dominant win.
Galvez finished with a double-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks, while Senining recorded 21 points, seven boards, seven assists, and two steals.
Xchange Forex-Batch 2018 secured the No. 3 spot after beating CSAS-Batch 2024, 72-58, and finished the elimination round with a 5-2 record.
Jed Cedrick Colonia fired 19 points with six steals, five boards, and three assists to top-score for Batch 2018. They will take on Batch 2014 in the final four.
Lastly, FADI-Batch 2021 edged GAB Air Conditioning-Batch 2023, 81-74, to complete Division C’s final four.
Rey Marcus Fuentes led Batch 2021 with 24 points as his team will take on Batch 2013 in the final four.
TRIPLE TIE IN DIVISION B
Meanwhile, Division B’s No. 4 spot in the final four will be determined later according to SHAABAA league commissioner Atty. Boyet Velez as three teams finished the elimination round with an identical 2-4 record.
Batch Radius One-2007, Subtero-2006, and Insular Square-2005 are all tied for the No. 4 spot. According to Velez, he will meet with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) officials overseeing the league to determine which of the three squads will complete Division B’s final four.
The team that will occupy the fourth spot will face top-seed Puresteel Manufacturing Corp.-Batch 2011 (6-0) in the final four, while the other pairing features ’04 For the Win-Batch 2004 (5-1) and ZLREJ Trading & Construction-Batch 2010 (4-2).
Batch 2007 boosted their chances of landing a spot in the final four after defeating Batch 2006, 62-52, behind Brennon Gothong’s game-high 20-point outing.
Meanwhile, Batch 2010 secured the No. 3 spot after narrowly escaping Batch 2005, 85-83. Gabe Branzuela led Batch 2010 with a double-double performance of 30 points, 12 assists, eight boards, and six steals.
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