POSTED BY: Eurobasket Center
Defending champion Toyota-Ol'Aces and Diablo shook off their collective rust from months of inactivity just in time to draw first blood in the opening night of the 2004 BANMI Budweiser Cup last Monday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
In the first game, Ol'Aces let their guard down in the third quarter before blowing Lebwel off the floor in the fourth and final quarter to win the game going away, 96-68.
The defending champions started like a house on fire and spotted Lebwel by 13 points, 25-12, as sweet-shooting forward Peter Camacho fired 10 points in the first quarter.
Ol'Aces continued to hum in the second quarter. Dominating the boards and picking off the passing lanes, the team padded its lead to as much as 18 points before Lebwel closed the gap in the final minutes of the half and found themselves trailing again by just a baker's dozen, 32-45.
Lebwel's Ryan Camacho then led a spirited rally in the third quarter. The 6'0" center knocked down jumpers and drove in like there was no tomorrow against the taller and heftier Ol'Aces frontline.
As a result, Lebwel was able to trim the proud Ol'Aces team's lead to just nine points going into the last 10 minutes of the contest.
But as quickly as someone could say the word "comeback," Ol'Aces players strapped on the afterburners in the fourth period and proceeded to leave Lebwel biting the dust.
Tinian resident and former National player John Santos led the assault in the final canto, unloading 10 of his 21 points. Fellow national team veteran Edsel Mendoza was equally lethal in the quarter, pouring in 9 points.
Peter Camacho went on to pace Ol'Aces with 21 points. Santos, Mendoza, and Gabriel White also finished in double figures for the team.
Ryan Camacho topscored for Lebwel with 17 points and Taula Peter and Ben Peliseman added 11 points apiece.
Toyota-Ol'Aces 96 - P. Camacho 23, Santos 21, Mendoza 11, White 11, Renguul 6, A. Camacho 6, Iginoef 4, Tagabuel 4, Rangamar 4, Celes 3, Pua 2, Saralu 2.
Lebwel 68 - Camacho 17, Peter 11, B. Peliseman 11, R, Peliseman 10, Limes 9, Pua 5, Joab 2.
Scoring by quarters: 25-12, 45-32, 67-58, 96-68.
In the second game, Diablo leaned on scorer Dave Sablan to upend a scrappy but inexperienced Ol'Aces II, 68-54.
Both teams started poorly with Ol'Aces II taking the first quarter 9-6. It was the first time in Budweiser Cup history that two teams failed to reach double figures after the opening quarter.
But Sablan would make sure Diablo won't go down that route again in the next period, unloading 12 of his game-high 25 points in the second quarter to help his team erect a 28-22 halftime advantage.
Diablo would stretch the lead to 13 points, 45-32, after the third period before finally slamming the door on Ol'Aces in the fourth quarter.
Steve Rasa and George Masga tallied 10 points apiece for Diablo, while B.J. Tagabuel and Dave Palacios led Ol'Aces with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Diablo 68 - D. Sablan 25, S. Rasa 10, Masga 10, J. Sablan 8, Acosta 5, P. Rasa 4, Wesley 3, Camacho 3.
Ol'Aces II 54 - Tagabuel 13, Palacios 10, Dillay 8, Odoshi 7, Lee 6, Ogumoro 6, Taisacan 4.
Scoring by quarters: 6-9, 28-22, 45-32, 68-54.
