Barkada grabs solo lead in Executive's Cup hoop

Team Barkada continued to spring surprise as it subdued Jaycees Basketball Association (JBA)-Crunchicken/Purcia Transport, 70-66, to grab the solo lead in the 2006 Executive's Cup basketball tournament last Sunday at the City Sports Club Cebu gym.

Earlier, Club Monday-Gatorade bounced back from a season-opening debacle and vented its ire on Sacred Heart Alumni Basketball Association (SHABA)-Cebu Home Builders, 76-66.

Former USJ-R Jaguar Pablo Yu and Richard Molina topped Team Barkada with 14 points apiece. Yu shot 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line, while Molina pulled a season-best 17 rebounds as they took the temporary leadership with a clean 2-0 slate.

Yu scored half of his output in the final quarter that helped seal Barkada's victory.

The crippling factor for JBA was Archie Coros who, after hitting 43 points in their win over the CECABA All-Stars, was handcuffed to only 14 markers this time. JBA also missed the services of one of its key players in James Lloyd Noel.

Edmundo Odulio Jnr topscored for JBA with 24 points, while Joseph Hykie Jayme added 16 as they fell to 1-1 in a tie with SHABA and Club Monday.

In the other game, Andres Seno Jnr had 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Demosthenes Alfeche scattered 19 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high five blocks for Club Monday, which set up the tempo of the match using a 24-14 first-quarter assault.

SHABA rallied back in the second canto, 22-13, to pull within a hairline at halftime, 36-37, but Club Monday unloaded a 21-7 bomb in the third canto to rip the game apart, 58-43.

Giovannie Young paced SHABA with 24 points, Theogene Lim added 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Frederick Tan had 10 points and the same number of rebounds.