Accenture, Kyocera draw first blood in E-Leagues finals

CEBU, Philippines — Jetro Gonzaga and Ariel Ramonito Edera stole the thunder as the Accenture Sharks and Kyocera Frontiers drew first blood in  their respective best-of-three division finals in the Tanduay Athletics E-Leagues for Basketball Season 14 last Sunday at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

Gonzaga sparked a daring endgame assault as the Sharks escaped past the Sykes Pioneers, 66-62, to move a win away from clinching Elite Classic title, while Edera dropped a triple-double bomb to help the Kyocera Frontiers end the record 18-game winning streak of Dreamscape Networks Lions, 79-57, and in the process step on the doorstep of the EVO League crown.

Gonzaga chalked up 18 points, including nine straight that shattered a 50-all deadlock early in the fourth period and put the Sharks on top for good, 59-51. He capped his endgame heroics with a 3-pointer dagger that put the Sharks safely ahead, 65-52, at the final four-minute zone of the contest.

“We just did our best. We knew that Sykes is a strong team because they have four former CESAFI players in the lineup, we just executed our defensive game plan,” said Gonzaga, who also grabbed eight rebounds and passed two assists. He was backed up by Junas Marion Misa with 12 points.

Victor Manuel Rabat scattered 21 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three assists, while Janjan Auditor tossed in 20 markers, five rebounds and two steals in a losing effort for the Piooners.

In the EVO League, Edera unloaded 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as Kyocera dealt Dreamscape its first ever loss in the tournament.

Matthew Grafilo posted a game-high 21 points, Junrey Cabarrubias scored 18, while Stephen Panal and Eliot Emerson Panal conjoined for 21 points for the Frontiers, who frolicked in the absence of Dreamscape’s top gunner Ralph Belarmino.

Belarmino served a one-game suspension he incurred after being ejected in Game 1 of their semifinal series against the Author Solutions Philippines Inc. (ASPI) Hardbacks.

The Lions were hardly hit by the absence of Belarmino, who averaged 23.4 points and 12.9 rebounds per game this season. Jake Cainday stepped up with 23 points and 10 rebounds but his efforts weren’t enough to lift the Lions. (FREEMAN)