Tupas brothers shine in basketball friendly vs Tuburan LGU

CEBU, Philippines - Iloilo Fifth District Representative Neil Tupas Jr., a topnotch lawyer, brought his prowess from the trial court to the basketball court.

Tupas, the lead counsel for the government panel during the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, scored 25 points including six triples for Team Iloilo during their exhibition match against Tuburan-LGU that ended in a 97-all stalemate last Tuesday night at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

However, it was Tupas' younger brother Bheng, the mayor of Barotac Viejo town, who topscored for the Iloilo squad with 31 points spiked with three triples and four medium-range jumpers.

Tuburan, led by Mayor Aljun Diamante, was only 16.5 seconds way from winning as they enjoyed a three-point edge on ex-SWU Cobras Alfred Belande's basket, 94-97, but Bheng Tupas, who patiently waited for a pass from the left wing, knocked in a crucial trey  a few seconds before the final buzzer, thus, the standoff.

Tuburan-LGU actually had a chance to wrap the match, but two tip-ins by Belande and former USPF Panther Elwin Durano didn't go in as the gameclock expired.

Iloilo posted a 53-42 lead at halftime, but it suddenly disappeared as Tuburan fought back with finesse to eventually wrest the driver's seat , 82-81, midway in the final quarter. Before Belande gave Tuburan a 97-74 edge, Bheng and Neil Tupas scored seven straight points for Iloilo in just a span of two minutes.

JR Obado led Tuburan with 19 points, while Belande, a former CESAFI top gunner, added 14 markers.

Mayor Diamante, who had two triples, chipped in nine points for Tuburan, while his younger brother Danny, the town's vice mayor, added 11 points.

Mayor Tupas and Mayor Diamante became close friends as Tupas is the national president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, while Diamante serves a LMP-Cebu Chapter president.

The scores

Team Iloilo (97) - B. Tupas 31, Jacob 26, N. Tupas 25, Bunny 7, Miguel 4, Ram 2

Tuburan (97) - Obado 19, Belande 14, Brigoli 14, D. Diamante 11, A. Diamante 9, Laguna 9, Durano 9,  Guerilla 6, Castro 4 (GGM) (FREEMAN)