UPang Pitaki Boyz rip PSU quintet
By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.
BARGING into the top four for the semis didn’t seem like a tall order for the defending champion University of Pangasinan Pitaki Boyz early in the tournament.
Last Monday, the fourth day of hostilities of the PRISAA Pangasinan-Dagupan Intercollegiate Basketball Invitational Championship held at Dagupan People’s Astrodome, the Pitaki boyz were victorious anew, manhandling the scrappy Pangasinan State University (PSU) quintet in a convincing 117-65 fashion.
The Pitaki Boyz also known as the Webczars jump-started with Bugallon’s sharpshooter Bryan Santillan leading the charge scoring 10 points to pace his team to a 49-33 half time lead.
Not convinced with a 16-point binge, Santillan and partners Albert Carcha, Joey Abalos and Rogelio Galapate reasserted their mastery of the game at the final half to gore the PSU dribblers which suffered their second defeat without victory.
The Pitaki Boyz head coach Angel Gumarang now tote a card of two triumphs sans loss to tie the marks of three title-contenders University of Luzon (UL) Golden Tigers, Lyceum Northwestern (LNU) Dukes and the much-improved Phil. Institute for Maritime Studies and Technology (PIMSAT) Mariners.
“We’ve had a very good practice almost everyday and I believe my boys are starting their real game and ready for the big battle,” said Gumarang.
PSU also bowed in their initial game with the unbeaten PIMSAT, surprisingly suffered a humiliating 70-57 whip.
Santillan racked up a game high 23 points, including 13 in the final quarter. Carcha had 22 while Galapate and Abalos contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
In the losers’ column, only two players scored in double digits with Leonard Tirao banging in a team high 18 points. Glenmore Vargas had 10.
In the second game, the stubborn PIMSAT Mariners measured their opponents on the first period to yield a 16-22 deficit, tied their rivals on the second and third quarters, 36-36, 60-60, respectively, but engineered a finishing kick on the last canto, to tame the Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy (PAMMA), 85-69.
Allan Cruz rifled a game high 20 points. Romeo de Guzman contributed 19. Tony Madriaga had 10.
The merchant marines’ Ryan Fernandez had a team high 18 points. James Arboleda and Alfie Viray contributed 13 and 10 points, respectively.
In the third game, as expected, Colegio de Dagupan scored its first victory against two losses by dumping the PRISAA Pangasinan 1 quintet, 132-30.
Skirmishes resume tomorrow at the same venue with Lyceum Northwestern Urdaneta City faces AIE-C College at 1:00 p.m. PSU meets LNU at 2:30 p.m. and at 4:00 p.m. is a battle of two undefeated teams between UL and PIMSAT.
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