Lopez Group Lifelong Wellness - Basketball Tournament

2006 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT OPENS
Sept 8, 2006

The 2006 Basketball Tournament finally got started with an inaugural game during the Lopez Lifelong Wellness Kick Off Ceremonies held at the Meralco gym last September 8. The Chairman of the Lopez Group Oscar M. Lopez did the ceremonial toss of the opening game.

The inaugural game was won by ABS CBN over the Benpres-Lopez team with the score of 82-71. Playing coach Vener Mariano led with 20 points for the ABS CBN squad which relied on crucial rebounds from Wibert Fung and timely steals from Marion Simbajon in the closing minutes of the game to stave off the rally from the Benpres team. Hermes Miranda had an impressive shooting from the 3-point area (3 of 4) to top score for Benpres with 18 points.

For the side events of the tournament, Neil Pajarillo of SkyCable wowed the crowd with accurate shooting (9 points out of a possible 14 points) to win the 3-point shooting contest participated on by 28 contestants.

The Meralco squad emerged victorious over the ABS CBN squad in the Finals of the 3-on-3 halfcourt game.

The 2006 Basketball Tournament is participated in by 8 team from ABS CBN Broadcasting Corporation, Bayantel group, Benpres-Lopez Inc. & subsidiaries, First Gen group , First Holdings & subsidiaries , Meralco, SkyCable and the Tollways group.

The tournament is part of the sports program facilitated by the Wellness Team, headed by Raffy Alunan, in coordination with the 3^rd Generation and HR/PR/ESH Councils. The Basketball Tournament Organizing Committee (Orcom) is composed of Gani Velasquez (FPIDC), Macky de Lima (First Balfour) and the team reps of the 8 teams: Cocoy Sulit (ABS CBN), Dimpy Jazmines (Bayantel), Hermes Miranda (Benpres-Lopez Inc.), Hyatt Basman (First Gen), Nick Cruz (First Holdings), Joel San Miguel (Meralco), Alfredo Go (SkyCable) and Bong Arcangel (Tollways).

Venue(s) for the tournament are the Meralco gym and the Lourdes School of Mandaluyong gym.

Basketball Open - Picture Gallery Click here.

GOOD DEFENSE LIFTS TEAM BAYANTEL VS. FPHC
Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Sept 12, 2006

The BayanTel Basketball Team had a bone to pick with FPHC. During a pre-season scrimmage between the two at the Lourdes Mandaluyong Gym last July, the FPHC team handed BayanTel with a stinging one-point defeat, never mind that it was just a practice game.

"A loss can teach us not to be overconfident, and it can also show us how to become better," BayanTel coach Vit Carpio had said to his tired and panting boys then, before drilling them some more with another hour of practice.

One can therefore say that it was a different -- wiser and more mature -- BayanTel team that faced off against FPHC when the two teams met again during their first game in Lopez basketball tournament last September 11, at the Meralco Gym.

The BayanTel team was trailing for most of the ballgame, by as much as nine points, but Coach Vit and the BayanTel players calmly depended on each other in methodically erasing the FPHC lead going into the fourth quarter, and setting the pace of the ballgame from that point on. The BayanTel team also showed that teamwork is one of their strong points, as the team employed a shattering cohesive defense that made FPHC sweat for every basket.

Team captain Mamengo Dionisio led the BayanTel team in scoring with a game-high 20 points. BayanTel guard Rhoel Geronimo, who more than made up for his three-point blanks during the first quarter, knocked down three three-point big ones during crucial points in the game, and finished with 11 points. BayanTel's Paul Licuanan, who distinguished himself with his impossible dives towards the ball and daredevil saves, also finished big with 16 points.

Team BayanTel won the game, 81-73.

SKYCABLE EDGES BENPRES-LOPEZ IN THURSDAY THRILLER
Written by Macky de Lima
Sept 21, 2006

Score tied at 69 all. 29 seconds to play. What does one do?

SkyCable Coach Joel Cabello knew exactly what to do. Put the ball in the steady hands of premier point guard KC Caindoy who skillfully managed the game clock and set the table for top gunner Jonas Sibug who slashed to the basket but was met by 2 Benpres big men and missed the shot but freed center Edison Ranon for an offensive putback and an and1 foul. Ranon converted the free throw to finalize the scoring at 72 SkyCable, 69 Benpres.

The linemen pair of Caindoy and Sibug has been a revelation for the SkyCable team. With a built akin to Rob Johnson (a Fil-Am with Ginebra a couple years back), Caindoy is one of the more dependable lead guards in the tournament. A shooting guard with the Rizal Technical University in his collegiate years, Sibug is currently the leading scorer in the tournament with an average of 23 points per game.

For the 3^rd consecutive game, Miranda led the Benpres-Lopez team with 17 points; No doubt the presence of his wife and kids inspiring his sweet-shooting ways. Roldan Pontejos was second in scoring with 16 points. After the 2 players, the scoring of the Benpres-Lopez team was noticeably weak and this was true also with the defensive effort in the last quarter. With his players tired, Coach Ric-Ric Marata had to call off the full court scrambling D and relied on the zone defense.

This was not the case with the SkyCable team which was facing a 9-point deficit at the start of the 4^th quarter. A determined and well-conditioned SkyCable deployed a 1-2-2 pressure defense and this bothered the opposing team into committing several turnovers. Such determination was typified by SkyCable team captain Alfred Go who proved pivotal, despite not scoring a single basket, with 4 steals/deflections in the last quarter. After the game held at the Lourdes School of Mandaluyong gym, the diminutive Go mused about his role in the team: "Taga-habol at taga-harass ng bola sa kabila." Queried as to his tip for stamina-building, the SkyCable team captain added that "I do a lot of jogging and I do not smoke."

With this go-go attitude, the SkyCable will continue to be an exciting team to watch in the 2006 Basketball Tournament.

MERALCO TRIPS TOLLWAYS
Written by Rolly Sol Cruz
Sept 21, 2006

Meralco sustained its offensive firepower and relentless pressure defense for four quarters to power past Tollways 84-49 for its second victory last September 21 at the Lourdes School of Mandaluyong gym.

Drawing inspiration from UST's win over UE in the UAAP, UST alumni Mark "Malone" Soriano and Manny "Skywalker" Calderon of Meralco lighted the score boards with a 6 to nothing roar against the tentative Tollways 5 in opening minutes of the game. However, highwaymen Paule, Pereras and Garcia made their way inside to put Tollways within striking distance, 14-6, at the end of 1^st Quarter.

The 2^nd period was like an ABS-CBN's blockbuster PBB show as MERALCO's Ramon "Franzen" Fabros, a former UP Los Banos varsity, poured in 16 points as he stung like a bee with his high flying drives and floated like a butterfly with his perimeter jumpers against the Tollways' zone. Former Rizal Tech guard Drigo "Iverson" Enriquez of Cainta Branch scored a buzzer-beater for a 21 point Meralco lead at the end of the 2^nd Quarter, 38-17.

In the 3^rd quarter, Tollways surprised MERALCO with its check-point trap and scored in transition plays that sent the predominantly Tollways crowd in pandemonium. This prompted MERALCO's trio los coaches Cezar Dawana, Manny Legaspi & Rolly Sol Cruz to switch to the 2-guard line-up taught by its former coach - Aric del Rosario. The veteran quartet of Nandy Padua, Enriquez, Jouie Bartolome & Atoy Salgado alternated at the guard positions and distributed the leather with clockwork precision. As a result, towering rookies Ace "Yao Ming" Lee of Substation and former UE Warrior Noel "Batista" Uriarte of Alabang Sector got the ball where they wanted and scored at will as fatigue caught up with Tollways' frontline. The quarter ended 61-39, still in favor of MERALCO.

In the pay-off period, Neng "Ginobili" Cortez of Sta Rosa Sales scored from all angles while former JRC Bomber Rey "Undertaker" Castillo of Pasig Sector closed the lanes that buried Tollways with a 35 point deficit half-way to the 4^th. And to put the icing on the cake, Loy Palmiano of Substation hit a very long shot from beyond the arc to put the exclamation mark on the 84-49 MERALCO win!

Meralco's relentless full-court press for four quarters is energized by the team's deep bench, solid conditioning and dedication to the game and for the company. As Assistant Coach Manny Legaspi said, "His job is to make the players play for the name in front of their uniforms and not for the name at the back." The MERALCO secret started in the player selection process which was handled by playing team manager Nandy Padua. There are many more talented players around but players were selected based on the needs of the team. Meralco can assemble a team of 6 footers but it can't pass the ball around and it can't trap. In a game where height is might, Meralco's secret is in its four unselfish and steady point guards who may not score but will always be there to hustle all game long and get the ball to where the team's shooters can do some damage.

TEAM BAYANTEL DOMINATES BOTH SIDES OF THE COURT IN WIN AGAINST FIRST GEN
Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Oct 3, 2006

Good offense combined with equally good defense make for an unstoppable and downright lethal combination, as the First Gen team found out the hard way during their tussle with the BayanTel Basketball Team last October 3 at the Meralco Gym.

An ominous and sudden heavy downpour pelted the outside of the Meralco Gym during the first quarter of the match; and inside the gym, BayanTel let loose an offensive barrage of their own against First Gen that saw the BayanTel team leading by 15 -- 24-9 -- by the quarter's close.

During the next three quarters, the BayanTel team led all the time as they controlled the tempo of the ballgame, and never letting the First Gen team get closer than nine points to their commanding lead.

Doing the most in terms of scoring damage to First Gen were BayanTel's CustCare trio of Carlo Fernandez, Erwynn Lao and Paul Licuanan, who all produced double-digit scores.

Fernandez, who finished with a game-high 17 points, seemed to defy gravity with his hang-time brand of ballgame, making shots that he would adjust at the last second while in mid-jump, and converting offensive rebounds into quick baskets in one fluid, effortless motion.

It was enough to leave not only the mouths of his First Gen opponents hanging open, but also that of his own teammates.

Big man Lao produced the second-highest number of points for BayanTel, with 13. Though towering in size over everybody else, Lao did not see much reason to utilize his height advantage under the basket, as his frequent unerring perimeter jumpshots during the game were already next to flawless.

The tireless Licuanan, the third of the high-scoring trio -- who finished with 11 points -- was in his usual consistent scoring self, running all around the court after the ball, and becoming the instigator of many of the team's fastbreaks during the game.

Scoring, however, spelled only half of the team's success story during the game. Also remarkable was the debilitating defense that the BayanTel team employed against First Gen throughout the game, which the BayanTel team never relaxed even with their lead.

BayanTel's defense became key in harassing the First Gen players to make mostly low-percentage shots from the outside, and leading them into turnovers. In the occasional times that a First Gen player could get footing inside the paint, he would be quickly challenged by an umbrella of giant BayanTel players. Tough break.

BayanTel won this game against First Gen, 72-51.

BAYANTEL BRINGS UMBRELLA DURING BENPRES' 3-POINT SHOWER
Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Oct 12, 2006

If only three-point shots were capable of producing loud booming sounds like thunder, then the Lourdes Mandaluyong Gym during the game between BayanTel and Benpres/Lopez, Inc. last October 12 would not only have been one very noisy place, it would also have been shaking and vibrating down to the very core of its foundations.

After a cold start in the first quarter which ended with BayanTel leading by 12 -- 25-13 -- the Benpres team let loose against BayanTel its crack commando sub-squad of three-point artists led by Hermes Miranda and Goldlink security guard to BayanTel 's 15^th Ave. building Ramil Almiranez. The BayanTel team shook their collective heads as Miranda at one point drilled three straight triplets one after the other.

At the end of the second quarter, the Benpres team -- mostly in three-point increments -- nibbled away at BayanTel's lead and edged uncomfortably close, 42-39. BayanTel's 12-point lead during the previous quarter has been reduced to only three.

BayanTel answered by adjusting its defense in an effort to end the deadly reign of the Benpres snipers. And also not to be outdone in this three-point shooting one-upmanship match, the BayanTel players joined the fray by unleashing accurate long-range salvos of their own -- courtesy of plucky guard Ronald Ramajo, who had two; and team captain Mamengo Dionisio, who had four.

Dionisio also led in game scoring with his 23-point finish, while BayanTel's dependable clutch man Paul Licuanan came in second with 22 big ones.

BayanTel emerged victorious after this clash with Benpres, 77-74. With the win, the BayanTel team is now tied with ABS-CBN for third place in the tournament's team standings, and is now one more step closer to gaining a coveted semi-finals slot.

MERALCO OUTSHINES ABS-CBN
Written by Rolly Sol Cruz
Oct 12, 2006

ABS-CBN opened with 2 to nothing broadcast on a Gerico Blaza jumper after the opening tip showing that Coach Vener Mariano came prepared for Meralco's run and gun type of play. Blaza and Arnold Sulit acted their roles perfectly putting ABS on prime time, 5-4. But Renato "Asintado" Quimson of Meter Reading fired from beyond the arc to give Meralco the lead role, 7-5. And as if on cue, 6'3" Team Captain Rey "Undertaker" Castillo, a former star of JRC more than a decade ago, showed the stuff that he is made of by burying 3 perimeter jumpers and blocked a shot in the closing seconds of the first for a 26 to 18 Meralco advantage.

The bell kept tolling in the 2^nd as the Undertaker continued his rampage with Lawrence Palmiano backing him up with back-to-back put-backs to cushion the rainbow explosion of ABS deadshot Dionisio for 44 to 39 half-time lead.

The pivotal third was a block-buster thriller as ABS came within a solitary point, 54-53 as muscleman Alvaro Morga and cat-quick Timothy Isla literally took matters into their own hands connecting from almost everywhere. However, Renato Salgado hit his stride and made a baseline j to put Meralco ahead by three lengths, 56-53. A defensive stop through another block by the Undertaker produced a Ramon "Franzen" Fabros walk in the park lay-up to make it a 5 point lead anew. Manny "Skywalker" Calderon canned in two free throws and Jouie Bartolome scored on a 2-on-1 to end the 3^rd at 64 to 56.

The pay-off period separated the men from the boys as Meralco shifted back to its trapping D which ABS could not escaped from as fatigue finally caught up with them. Veteran point guards Jouie B and Nandy "Nicolas Cage" Padua fed its big young men who powered their way inside; Fabros and Mark "Malone" Soriano converting four (4) baskets a piece. On the other end, rookie center Ace "Yao Ming" Lee did his thing finishing with a game high 5 blocks. And as time expired, Meralco has an "abante" of 14 points for an 88 to 74 win, its fourth in as many outings in front of its fans; Quimson's son, Castillo's wife, Calderon's buddy and Fabros' side-kicks Ian and Wong.

MERALCO GIVES HALLOWEEN SCARE TO BAYANTEL
Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Oct 26, 2006

Considering the timing when the game was played -- just a few days before Halloween -- and its eventual outcome, it was probably very apt for BayanTel that the orange team color of Meralco happened to be of the same shade as the Jack o' Lantern.

Successfully completing a clean sweep of the Lopez Group of Companies Basketball Tournament elimination rounds, the Meralco team dealt the BayanTel Basketball Team last October 26 its biggest defeat to date -- to the tune of a 19-point rout, 61-80.

Though bothered by bad breaks throughout the game, the BayanTel team was not without its heroes in its match with Meralco. BayanTel spitfire Paul Licuanan led the team's efforts with his game-high 19 points, most of which were accurately shot from mid-range, over much-taller and bulkier defenders.

The loss came as BayanTel's third in the tournament's elimination rounds. Despite the painful blow, however, the BayanTel team can still afford to smile this Halloween as it retains its third-place ranking among the teams who survived the eliminations, and advances to the semi-finals round.

The quotient system used in determining which teams would earn a place in the semi-finals slot heavily favored the BayanTel contingent, which was supported by a good 4-3 win-loss record, and which had registered significant and convincing win margins over the opponents that it was tied in the team standings with.

Joining BayanTel in the semi-finals would be early entrants Meralco and ABS-CBN, which are ranked first and second in the elimination round's team standings, respectively. The fourth and final slot in the semis would either be awarded to the FPHC or the Tollways team, depending on how these two teams would fare in their last remaining games in the elimination rounds.

Going into the semis is a whole new different ballgame. If there's one thing that the Meralco team can count on, its that BayanTel will definitely be facing them again -- and during that time, things will be a little different.

For one, the BayanTel team will be more than ready for them the next time they meet. And second, it can't be Halloween Day all the time.

TEAM BAYANTEL WINCES AS IT PAYS TOLL TO TOLLWAYS
Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Oct 10, 2006

BayanTel's game last October 10 against Tollways would surely go down as one of the more pulse-pounding, nail-biting games in the annals of the Lopez Group of Companies Basketball Tournament 2006 -- but unfortunately, it would also have to be remembered as one that had to end with a heart-breaking one-point loss for BayanTel.

With seven-point-six seconds left in the ball game -- the score 76-77 with BayanTel trailing by just one, and with the Tollways team in penalty -- all the BayanTel team had to do was make any quick penetration towards the basket and expect a good chance at a successful basket; or if not, a sure foul worth two free throws -- or, if Lady Luck permits, the basket plus the foul.

With the few precious seconds counting down, BayanTel's inbounded ball found itself in the steady hands of seasoned wingman Paul Licuanan, who passed it on to stalwart guard Rhoel Geronimo for the attempt.

Very recently a proud father who just marked the birth of his second child, Geromino had nine points in the game and was formidable all throughout in terms of on-court leadership and outside shooting threat.

Geronimo's fellow guard Licuanan, for his part, also proved to be a major migraine-level headache for the Tollways team, lording over everybody else in scoring with 17 points.

Perhaps it was the intense pressure, or perhaps the unbearable excitement during that last few seconds -- or perhaps simply the normal breaks of the game -- but an unexpected traveling fumble spelled bad news for the BayanTel team, and resulted in a painful turnover favoring the other team.

Admirable for not giving up the ghost until the very end, BayanTel made last-ditch tries to steal and foul, just as the last remaining seconds died out.

The final buzzer sounded with the scoreboard unchanged, 76-77, with Tollways winning the game.

As they offered handshakes and congratulations to the other team afterwards, the BayanTel team acknowledged that it was a well-deserved victory for Tollways.

And indeed, the Tollways players know this fact only too well -- for this was one win that certainly was not served to them by BayanTel on a nice and cushy shiny silver platter.

With this loss, BayanTel -- now 2-2, but still very much in the running for a semi-finals slot -- drops down to a fourth-place tie with Benpres-Lopez Inc. in the team standings.

A TALE OF TWO COACHES
Written by Macky de Lima
Oct 12, 2006

Basketball when played smart, together and hard is colorful, exciting, emotional and rewarding as a game could get. And the conductor of this athletic symphony is the team coach. For the 2006 Lopez Wellness Basketball Tournament, the coaches from the 8 teams come from varied backgrounds, from an ex-pro cager to a QESH officer to a facilities maintenance head to a company president to an account officer to a news editor to a labor union president to an assistant coach in the PBA.

This article takes a look at 2 of them: Ric-Ric Marata of the Benpres-Lopez Inc. team and Dan Lachica of the First Holdings Team.

Coach Ric-Ric Marata was born in Mindanao. He had his collegiate basketball with the University of Visayas. The Green Lancer point guard moved to the Pop Cola team in the Philippine Basketball Association in the late 80s and retired with the Iloilo Volts of the Metropolitan Basketball Association in the late 90s. More than 2 decades of experience in organized basketball has equipped Coach Marata with the tools and knowledge to be an effective "players coach."

The president of First Sumiden, Dan Lachica is the playing coach of the First Balfour team. Born in Tondo, Manila, Coach Lachica played juniors basketball at the Philippine Science High School. At UP Diliman, he played for inter-college teams of the College of Arts and Sciences (1^st & 2^nd years) and for the College of Engineering (3^rd & 4^th years). When he took his MBA studies at the San Jose State University in California, Coach Lachica got to polish his game some more by playing pick-up games with African-Americans. Such a varied experience in basketball has helped Coach Lachica become an effective Motivator for his squad.

Hereunder are their views on 4 topics:

ROLE OF THE COACH

Coach Marata: Players play the game. Coaches are there to motivate and teach the players how best to play the game. To do this, the coach needs to have more practice sessions with the players.

Coach Lachica: The main role of the coach is to bring out the best in the team so that they play, not as individuals, but as a cohesive unit demonstrating unselfish teamwork while striving for the common goal. This needs to be done while modeling true sportsmanship.

OFFENSE OR DEFENSE

Coach Marata: Magpahinga sa opensa; Todo bigay sa depensa. We need more stops. The more stops, the more possessions. The more possessions, the greater the percentage of winning.

Coach Lachica: I belong to the old school which subscribes to the belief that defense is the best offense. More often than not, offense comes naturally but defense has to be trained, learned and executed persistently.

CONDITIONING

Coach Marata: Pag-gising pa lang sa umaga, push-up na. Pag dating sa trabaho, bigay todo sa trabaho para palaging kundisyon.

Coach Lachica: Conditioning is very essential for our style of run-and-gun game. Our pre-game routine consists of stretching exercises, round robin, shoot-arounds and most important of all, our team prayer. We close every game with a team thanksgiving prayer as well. You might say that we believe in a player's well-roundedness - in body, mind and spirit.

TEAM TO BEAT

Coach Marata: I have not seen all the 8 teams play. But many say, the team to beat is Meralco.

Coach Lachica: I have not seen all the teams play well but I would think that Meralco is one of the teams to beat. They have seasoned players plus they have the home court advantage.

FIRST HOLDINGS WINS BY A POINT IN CRUCIAL MATCH WITH TOLLWAYS
Written by Macky de Lima
Oct 23, 2006

An undermanned First Holdings team gutted out a 1-point win over Team Tollways 84-83, marking the second consecutive game in the Tournament that the margin of victory has been a single point. The close games (last 4 games decided by 5 points or less) are an indication of the increasing level of competitiveness and team pride in the 2006 Lopez Wellness Basketball Tournament.

Missing the services of head coach Dan Lachica (First Sumiden) and Rockwell Land players BJ Afable, Francis Honorica & Gian Pablo, the First Holdings selection relied on athletic plays in the first half and team pressure defense in the second half. The high-leaping Wall de Leon (First Sumiden) top scored with 25 points, 17 of them in the first period on acrobatic drives and undergoal stabs. Dominating the shaded lane in the second half, twin-towers 6-1 Archie Bernabe (First Sumiden) and 6-2 Teodoro Blanco (Philec) contributed 18 and 17 points, respectively. Rommel Velasco (Philec) chipped in 10 points from the perimeter, canning 2 of 2 from the 3-point area in the 3^rd quarter.

With the set half court offense virtually non-existent in the absence of court general BJ Afable, assistant coach Farley Cuizon (First Holdings) and team captain Willie Alcala (Philec) relied on good defense to generate the offense and demanded on his top players to "pitch to the man ahead". If a player stole the ball and was headed toward the basket, but had a team-mate in front of him, it was insisted that he pitch the ball ahead. That seems a little thing but it went straight to building an ethic of unselfishness throughout the team and was a big boost to the confidence of the reserve players - Edwin Masmela (First Balfour), Willie Talavera (Inaec Development), Aaron Tirona (STSI) and Odie Arceo (Fedcor) . This proved crucial in the end game with the fouling out of Bernabe and Blanco.

Benefiting from the drive and dish plays of lead guards Arnold Perreras and Pepito Bucad, power forward Bernan Simbulan lead Tollways with 23 points. Off guard Jay del Rosario added 19 points, mainly on barreling drives. However, the sweet shooting of swingman Santiago Garcia was missed. Also, Team Tollways failed to take advantage of the foul trouble of the First Holdings big men and enigmatically continued to put promising young center 6-3 Marvin Paule on the bench in the 4^th quarter.

Noteworthy was the presence of STSI employees who provided enthusiastic crowd support to the First Holdings team, and matched the clapping and noise of the normally dominant cheering section of Tollways.

The victory placed First Holdings with Tollways at identical 3-3 records; in the running for the 4^th and last spot of the Semi-Final round. The last games of First Holdings (vs. First Gen), Tollways (vs Benpres) and current 3^rd Placer Bayantel (vs. Meralco) will determine their semi-final fate.

Will there be a two-way tie for the 4^th spot? Will there be a 3-way tie for the last 2 spots of the Final Four? Abangan...

BAYANTEL TAKES A SKID IN 1^ST SEMIS GAME VS. TOLLWAYS
Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Nov 8, 2006

Young boys just learning to play basketball would always get reminded by their trainers and mentors to practice their free throws and not take these for granted, as they are one of the more important, but underrated, aspects of the game.

Years later, when these young boys would have grown up, and they get to find themselves shooting free throws at the 15-foot line with their team depending and hanging on the success of their shots, the old remembered words of their school coaches, kuyas or fathers would ring true once again.

"Free throws are important."

Unfortunately for BayanTel during their game with Tollways last November 8, the team ended up missing a lot of free throws throughout the game, which -- had these been successfully converted -- might have spelled a rosier ending for BayanTel at the ballgame's conclusion. BayanTel lost to the Tollways team by nine points, 71-80.

Missed free throws were not the only culprit, however. Somehow, the team's collective horoscopes seemed to collaborate to make the day their unlucky day. The BayanTel team suffered from one bad break after another -- several contested calls, a couple of fast break fumbles, and quite a few rebound tap-outs that would ironically find its way into the hands of their opponents.

Not giving up the ballgame, the BayanTel team -- led in scoring by team captain Mamengo Dionisio with 19 points -- tried to keep a rally going during the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, after having whittled down the Tollways lead down to 10, and a few minutes later, down to eight.

With varied successes, BayanTel kept the fire going with quick jabs underneath the basket made by guard Allan Baloloy and center Gerry Castilla, and three-point attempts mainly orchestrated by Dionisio. In the end, time turned out not to be BayanTel's friend, as it ran out all too abruptly in the middle of their rally effort, with the team still lacking by nine points.

With Tollways winning, BayanTel absorbs its first loss in the semi-finals round. The setback though has only made the team hungrier to win their next semi-finals game on Friday, which happens to be against Meralco.

BAYANTEL LOSES TO MERALCO; BUT NOT WITHOUT
"ONE BIG FIGHT!"

Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Nov 10, 2006

Every team at the Lopez Group of Companies Basketball Tournament now understands why the BayanTel team chose to wear the colors white and blue.

Without actually intending to, the BayanTel Basketball Team has come to mirror both the team color and the style of playing of the celebrated Ateneo Blue Eagles collegiate team.

Like the Blue Eagles that they have come to be compared with, the BayanTel team has consistently shown throughout the tournament that -- while it may not always turn out to be the toughest team in all its games -- it is the one team that, win or lose, does not fail to give each game a "One Big Fight".

BayanTel's game against Meralco last November 10 at the Lourdes Mandaluyong Gym was a highly crucial one. After losing against Tollways in its first of three semi-final games, BayanTel needed to win its next two games to qualify for the fight for first place in the championship round.

The odds were however stacked against BayanTel as Meralco, its opponent at the moment, remains undefeated even going into the semi-finals rounds, continuing the winning sweep it had begun in the elimination rounds. Meralco, even the other teams are coming to realize, is also the team that is highly touted to win the tournament championship.

If history was to judge, the BayanTel team was also in for a beating: during the last match between BayanTel and Meralco last October 27, the Meralco team dealt BayanTel a hefty 19-point defeat. For other teams in the tournament, Meralco's win margins were even bigger.

The expected Meralco beating, however, did not exactly turn out as easy as they have planned.

From the opening ball-toss up to the last closing second, the BayanTel team played like there was no tomorrow. With no choice but to field shorter players against Meralco's bigger, taller men, the BayanTel team hounded and challenged each Meralco ball possession.

Though visibly tired from their exertions, BayanTel team did not let up its defense. The reward of seeing the other team sweat in their seats and socks was much too addictive, and so they kept hitting them with everything they got with dogged determination, effectively limiting Meralco to one of its lowest scoring outputs in the tournament, and even going as far as out-rebounding Meralco's giants in quite a number of instances.

Taking scoring leadership once again for BayanTel was team captain Mamengo Dionisio, now recognized as one of the Lopez league's top players, with 18 points during this game.

Meralco had a harder time wrapping up the ballgame thanks to BayanTel's determined efforts, but Meralco's high, heft and experience still prevailed over BayanTel's shorter and tired players, enabling the team to post an 11-point win over BayanTel, 50-61.

The loss has dashed BayanTel's hopes to enter the championship fight for first place, which is now reserved for Meralco and Tollways on November 15. BayanTel, meanwhile, will take on ABS-CBN tomorrow, November 14, for the battle for third place.

It is now BayanTel's job to prevail over ABS-CBN in tomorrow's final single-game championship match to bring home the third-place trophy.

Like Meralco, ABS-CBN is a tough team. With the championship rug just pulled out from under them by a surprise win by Tollways, the smarting ABS-CBN players are determined to get a win over BayanTel tomorrow.

But the BayanTel team believes otherwise.

And certainly not without one big fight.

TEAM BAYANTEL TAKES 4TH PLACE IN LOPEZ GROUP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Written by Dimpy Jazmines
Nov 15, 2006

The championship match for third place played between BayanTel and ABS-CBN last November 15 at the Meralco was one of the BayanTel team's best-played games as a team - ironically though, BayanTel did not get to win it.

But that did not mean the BayanTel team did not give it its best shot, notwithstanding that consistent leading scorer and team captain Mamengo Dionisio had to sit the game out due to a painful knee, and top center Gerry Castilla had fouled out with minutes left to play. With an end-game full of "could have beens", the team actually came very close to turning the game around.

With just 24 seconds left in the game clock at the fourth quarter, BayanTel was up by two - the successful result of an exhaustingly heroic catch-up effort started two quarters back - with ABS-CBN inbounding the ball from the far side of the court. BayanTel was in penalty, so the strict order from BayanTel's Coach Vit Carpio was to just let the clock run, play honest-to-goodness defense and, most importantly, be careful with the fouls.

A surprised BayanTel guard Allan Baloloy however was slapped by the referee with a foul for leaning in too microscopically close to the ABS-CBN ball carrier, and the penalty was two free throws which ABS-CBN successfully converted. Score was tied 69-all.

BayanTel had the ball in the next two plays and they was fouled by ABS-CBN. Free throws have turned out to be the BayanTel weakness during the semi-finals, and this fact was the most evident during these final closing moments.

After receiving fouls in the next two ball possessions from ABS-CBN, which was also in penalty, BayanTel visited the foul line a total of two times during the final seconds - but in both instances, BayanTel's crucial free throws missed their mark.

ABS-CBN, meanwhile during their three trips to the foul line in this end-game period, were very accurate in their free throws - making five out of six foul shots - and this elevated the team over BayanTel for the victory. The final score: BayanTel - 69, ABS-CBN -74.

Though bowing to ABS-CBN, BayanTel's good overall showing during their last game was still a good, respectable fight that any team cannot help but take pride in.

Basketball scores can easily be measured on scoreboards and tally sheets, but the heart, good sportsmanship and fighting spirit that the BayanTel squad has displayed during each and every single game they have played, whether they win or lose, can only be measured by the respect the team receives.

And from their friends who watch their games, from the opponents they play against, and from the many BayanTel employees who cannot watch them play but follow their games nevertheless, the respect is there, with plenty to spare.

It was a good run this year by the BayanTel team. Congratulations to the team, and thank you to all those who believed in them and supported them throughout the tournament. We'll get 'em next year!

LOPEZ GROUP BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Written by Rolly Sol Cruz
Nov 16, 2006

MERALCO erected a lot of poles in the W-column going 7-0 in the elims and 3-0 in the semis and was expecting that the do or die Finals against Tollways is nothing but another walk in the park. But "bilog ang bola" and Tollways came prepared for its championship trip. Tollways zoomed in the fast lane and was leading 12 to 11 halfway in the 1^st when Meralco lighted the scoreboard with a 10-nothing high-voltage run anchored on its trapping defense as JRC Bomber and PABL veteran Rey "Undertaker" Castillo hit his perimeter jumper, Drigo "Iverson" Enriquez, formerly of Rizal Tech, converted from the stripes, Nandie "The Director" Padua, Manny "Skywalker" Calderon and John "Spiderman" Adug scored on fastbreaks.

In the 2^nd Q, former UP Maroons Mon "The Flash" Fabros exploded with 8 consecutive points on fast breaks and its big men were unstoppable inside; 6-3' Ace "Yao Ming" Lee of SCADA, former UE Warrior Noel "Batista" Uriarte of Alabang Sector and Mark "Malone" Soriano of Safety. 48 to 38 half-time tally.

Doy "Asintado" Quimson of Meter Reading opened the 3^rd Q with his patented trey from the left corner but Tollways put up a road block and tail-gated MERALCO 62 to 60, with under three minutes left. Coach Manny "T" Legaspi, a former UST Glowing Goldies, switched to the zone defense that stalled the Tollways rally as Quimson hit another trey, Soriano and Lee perfected their free throws and Castillo buried another jumper for a more comfortable 72 to 67 lead.

In the pay-off period, Quimson and Fabros scored in transition, Lee made a pair of put-backs and Padua hit a trey on top of the key for a 14 point lead, 86 to 72, with 4:48 remaining. Tollways made one gallant stand and started to foul to stop the clock but Enriquez burned them on the stripes hitting 4 out of 6 for a 94 to 88 victory!

CHAMPIONSHIP TIME: MERALCO VERSUS TOLLWAYS
FOR THE CROWN

Written by Macky de Lima
Nov 15, 2006

Uno mas.

Championship time is upon us.

One more game. After 35 games, the Lopez Lifelong Wellness Basketball Tournament 2006 is down to one game to determine the champion. To battle for the crown on November 16 (7pm) are two competitive teams : Meralco and Tollways.

Two teams with contrasting personas: Undefeated team versus hot streaking team. Power game versus express speed game. Defense versus offense.

Meralco's overwhelming strength has been its defense. The low output allowed by Meralco's defense continued and intensified in the semi-finals. In 3 games, the defense of Team Meralco has only allowed 50.7 points per game from its opponents, 3 points lower than the elimination round. None of the semi-final opponents of Meralco scored more than 52 points.

The effectiveness of Meralco's defense is heightened by its variety as the coaching duo of Manny Legaspi and Cesar Dawana has installed several defensive schemes for the team : 2-3 zone, match-up zone, run-and-jump press. Plus the players in the post (centers Ace Lee & Rommel Bonifacio, power forwards Rey Castillo, Laurence Palmiano, Mark Soriano & Noel Uriarte) and perimeter (point guards Drigo Enriquez & Nandy Padua, swingmen Mon Fabros, Renato Quimson, John Adug, Renato Salgado & Manuel Calderon) have solid basketball fundamentals that enable them to initiate the type of defense most effective.

DEFENSIVE PRESSURE (Semi-Finals)
Points Allowed Per Game	Elimination	Semi-Finals	+/-
Meralco	53.9	50.7	3.2
Tollways	69.1	70.3	-1.2
Bayantel	68.9	70.5	-1.6
ABS-CBN	68.6	84.5	-15.9

Tollway's savior in the latter part of the elimination round and the semi-finals has been its prolific offense. Facing a must-win game in its knock-out match with First Holdings, Tollways scored 91 points. Then in the first 2 games of the semi-finals , Tollways produced 80 and 98 points against Bayantel and ABS CBN, respectively.

Team Tollways has the luxury of fielding a squad of speed troopers (Arnold Perreras, Jay Del Rosario, Santiago Garcia, Pepito Bucad, Ronan Mangabat, Ronald Dulatre, Herbert Laboy & Bong Arcangel) in the backcourt to increase the tempo of the game and if the need arises to pound the ball inside, it boasts of a beefy frontcourt (Marvin Paule, Bernan Simbulan, Brandon Zapanta, Armando Gomez, Kurt Mendoza & Erlito Alfeche). The key to Tollways' high-octane offense is the conveyor belt-like substitution pattern of Coach Ruel Castillo who changes players on a 3 to 4 minute intervals, thus ensuring that the 5 players on the court are always fresh and raring to push the ball upcourt.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT (Semi-Finals)
Points Per Game	Elimination	Semi-Finals	+/-
Tollways	71.1	76.0	4.9
ABS-CBN	73.3	67.5	-5.8
Meralco	88.1	63.0	25.1
Bayantel	70.0	60.5	-9.5

So, which team will emerge champion? It is said that the ball is round but perhaps the key to victory would be the ability of one team to use its opponent's strength to its own advantage. Perhaps, Tollways can unleash a defensive pressure scheme on Meralco's ball handlers? Perhaps, Meralco can outsprint and outscore Tollways with its own fastbreak attack?

See you all then at the Meralco gym on Nov 16, 7pm sharp.

MERALCO SURVIVES UPSET BID OF BENPRES-LOPEZ INC.
Written by Macky de Lima
Oct 19, 2006

By a point, Meralco survived a near upset by Team Benpres-Lopez Inc. With 26 seconds to play and trailing by a single point, Meralco came out of its last huddle hoping to have premier swingman Ramon Fabros Jr take it strong to the basket but the active hands of the swarming Benpres-Lopez Inc. defenders swatted the ball off and the ball mercilessly fell into the hands 6-3 center Timothy Ace Lee who aced a 12-foot jumper to finalize scoring 62-61.

A basketball game has 4 quarters and in this game, Benpres-Lopez Inc. won the 1^st and 3^rd quarters but Meralco took the 2^nd and 4^th quarters.

The Ric Marata-coached team showcased a stingy 2-2-1 pressure defense that limited the top-rated offense of Meralco to only 5 points in the first period. The product of this pressure defense coming from 2 trappers (Ramil Almiranez and Vic Martinez), 2 interceptors (Jun Panganiban and Roldan Pontejos) and a safety (Alejandro Alba) were numerous Meralco turnovers that led to 19 transition points for Benpres-Lopez Inc. by the end of the 1^st quarter.

When the going gets rough, the tough gets going.

This is what the Meralco team did starting in the 2^nd Quarter and none best exemplified this toughness than the smallest Meralco player present, 5-7 lead guard Drigo Enriquez. Playing his best game in the tournament, Enriquez came in with a cluster of points (10) in the 2^nd period , mainly on drives to the basket against taller defenders, to will Meralco in taking the lead by halftime 33-30.

From the start of the 3^rd quarter onwards, the score saw a dizzying sequence of lead changes to conclude in that fateful shot of the young Meralco center.

With the victory, Meralco (5 wins 0 loss) managed to keep its unbeaten record.

With the loss, Benpres-Lopez Inc. slid to a 2-4 record (with 1 game remaining) and out of the semi-final hunt. In the process, Team Benpres-Lopez Inc. has shown to the other teams a blueprint to beat Meralco: Tough pressure defense consistently applied in all quarters of the game.

MERALCO REMAINS UNDEFEATED IN ELIMINATION ROUND
Written by Macky de Lima
Oct 16, 2006

As the 2006 Lopez Wellness Basketball Tournament nears the end of its elimination round, the Meralco team remains undefeated and continues to lead the 8-team field with a 4-0 record. The surprising Tollways team is placed at 2^nd with a 3-1 record. At 3^rd place is the speedy ABS CBN team (4-2). For the fourth and last spot of the Final Four round, Bayantel team (3-2) has an edge but Benpres, First Holdings and SkyCable with identical 2-3 records can still complicate matters.

TEAM STANDINGS As of Oct 16, 2006
	W	L
Meralco	4	0
Tollways	3	1
ABS-CBN	4	2
Bayantel	3	2
Benpres/Lopez Inc	2	3
FPHC	2	3
SkyCable	2	3
First Gen	0	6

What is the key to Meralco's dominance of the tournament thus far? There are the usual suspects:

Homecourt Advantage? This is not so as only 1 of the 4 games that Meralco won has been played in the Meralco gym.

Meralco players are taller and bigger? Again, this is not so as the strong five of a couple of teams like First Holdings and Bayantel are taller than the Meralco strong five.

What then? Perhaps a look at the game statistics can provide a clue.

Managed by Nandy Padua, captained by Rey Castillo and coached by the duo of Cesar Dawana and Manny Legaspi, Team Meralco ranks first in both offense and defense. The offense of Meralco is prolific, averaging 84 points per game. It has also displayed swiss knife -like versatility with 4 separate players leading the scoring in Meralco's 4 games: 3-point specialist Renato Quimson, athletic slasher Ramon Fabros Jr., lanky center Ace Lee and wide-body forward Mark Soriano.

OFFENSE	Points Per Game	Game Scoring Leaders
Meralco (4 gms)	84.0	(4) Renato Quimson, Ramon Fabros Jr., Ace Lee, Mark Soriano
ABS-CBN (6 gms)	75.2	(3) Vener Mariano, Marlon Simbajon, Wibert Fung
Benpres/Lopez (5 gms)	74.6	(2) Hermes Miranda, Arnie Pabilona
Bayantel (5 gms)	74.0	(3) Reynaldo Dionisio, Paul Licuanan, Carlo Fernandez
FPHC (5 gms)	72.6	(3) Teodoro Blanco, Wall de Leon, BJ Afable
SkyCable (5 gms)	70.0	(3) Jonas Sibug, Dexter Ricario, Marlon Mariano
Tollways (4 gms)	68.3	(3) Jay Del Rosario, Marvin Paule, Bernan Simbulan
First Gen ( 6 gms)	43.0	(3) Hyatt Basman, Gem Fedalizo, Ed Duques

On defense, Meralco is even more formidable, allowing a stingy 51 points per game. More importantly, this hard-working defense generates the offense of Meralco thru steals and forced turnovers which lead to easy transition baskets for its well-conditioned players.

DEFENSE	Points Allowed Per Game
Meralco (4 gms)	50.5
Tollways (4 gms)	67.3
Bayantel (5 gms)	69.4
ABS-CBN (6 gms)	70.5
Benpres/Lopez (5 gms)	70.6
FPHC (5 gms)	71.0
SkyCable (5 gms)	73.4
First Gen (6 gms)	78.4

"Good Defense makes Good Offense" is what Coach Dawana talks about. Drawing from the inspiration of longtime UST coach and Meralco sports hall of famer Aric del Rosario, the Meralco brand of basketball is heavy on defense and proper conditioning.

Coach Legaspi shares the following:

"Endurance, strengthening and flexibility are all important parts of playing basketball. Close games are won often by the team with the best physical conditioning. Players' shots, free-throws, hustle and rebounding are the things that win games. When you are tired, these come up short and suffer. The Meralco players must be in top physical condition, being a quick, full-court pressing and fast-breaking team, that's why it has been winning by pushing the opponents to their point of fatigue.

The team practices twice a week. In practice, the players start by jogging continuously for 15 minutes. After the jog, stretching follows, then stamina drills next where players sprints, side steps, jumps all without the ball for 15 minutes. Then, ball drills for another 15 minutes. After the ball drills and while the players are gasping for air, they shoot free throws. Scrimmage follows where the team practices both offense and defense."

Defense and conditioning are the keys to the Meralco Team's winning ways.

Will the winning streak continues? Maybe or Maybe not. One thing is for sure. A basketball team praying to win one will have to match or exceed the level of conditioning and hustle of Team Meralco if its prayer is to be granted.

Meralco BAGS 3-ON-3 CHAMPIONSHIP
Written by Rolly Sol Cruz
Sept 11, 2006

No. 2 seed MERALCO methodically exploited its "Twin Towers" advantage to upset No. 1 seed ABS-CBN in the 3-on-3 Finals with a score of 30 to 28, that marked the opening of the Lopez Group Wellness Basketball Open 2006 held last Sept 8, 2006 at Meralco Corporate Wellness Gym.

ABS-CBN controlled the tempo in the first half as its No. 6'es cross-over move is always a step ahead of the MERALCO defense. But in the pay-off period, MERALCO step-up its voltages and Coach Enriquez reunited its Two Towers; 5-11 Espinueva and 6-1 Rimando, who lorded the shaded lane and limited the ABS-CBN's air time. Bauto, the playmaker of the 4-time Champion CSO-CRMO Class A Division, and De Guia, star forward of 2005 1^st Runner-up CSO-CRMO Class B, alternated at the point and orchestrated the 2-man game with surgical precision with Espinueva, the power forward of 2004 Champion Inspection Class C, at the low post.

Espinueva, who led all scorers with 16 points, used his weight advantage to the hilt as he executed his pirouette moves against ABC-CBN's scripted man-to-man defense with impunity. De Guia, who tallied with 9 points, electrified the homecourt crowd with his bread and butter up and under moves highlighted by a left-handed scoop shot in the final minute that put MERALCO in the driver's seat. But it was the defense of Rimando, the center of the 2005 Champion Branches Team Class B Division, that preserved the win as ABS-CBN missed a last second shot that could have send the game into overtime.

And this was just the appetizer!"


Thu Nov 16 Box Score
Meralco	94	Tollways	88
Tue Nov 14 Box Score
ABS-CBN	74	Bayantel	69
Mon Nov 13 Box Score
Meralco	57	Tollways	50
Fri Nov 10 Game 2 Box Score
Tollways	98	ABS-CBN	83
Fri Nov 10 Game 1 Box Score
Meralco	61	Bayantel	50
Wed Nov 8 Game 2 Box Score
Tollways	80	Bayantel	71
Wed Nov 8 Game 1 Box Score
Meralco	71	ABS-CBN	52
Mon Nov 6 Box Score
Tollways	91	FPHC	65
Mon Oct 30 Box Score
Tollways	85	Benpres/Lopez	69
Thu Oct 26 Game 2 Box Score
FPHC	78	First Gen	59
Thu Oct 26 Game 1 Box Score
Meralco	80	Benpres/Lopez	61
Tue Oct 24 Box Score
Meralco	139	SkyCable	53
Mon Oct 23 Box Score
FPHC	84	Tollways	83
Thu Oct 19 Game 2 Box Score
Meralco	62	Benpres/Lopez	61
Thu Oct 19 Game 1 Box Score
ABS-CBN	62	Tollways	57
Tue Oct 17 Box Score
Bayantel	59	SkyCable	55
Mon Oct 16 Box Score
ABS-CBN	73	First Gen	50
Thu Oct 12 Game 2 Box Score
Bayantel	77	Benpres/Lopez	74
Thu Oct 12 Game 1 Box Score
Meralco	88	ABS-CBN	74
Tue Oct 10 Box Score
Tollways	77	Bayantel	76
Mon Oct 9 Box Score
FPHC	89	SkyCable	73
Thu Oct 5 Game 2 Box Score
Benpres/Lopez	82	First Gen	47
Thu Oct 5 Game 1 Box Score
Meralco	66	FPHC	49
Tue Oct 3 Box Score
Bayantel	72	First Gen	51
Mon Oct 2 Box Score
ABS-CBN	90	SkyCable	71
Tue Sept 26 Box Score
Tollways	67	First Gen	48
Mon Sept 25 Box Score
FPHC	77	ABS-CBN	60
Thu Sept 21 Game 2 Box Score
SkyCable	72	Benpres/Lopez	69
Thu Sept 21 Game 1 Box Score
Meralco	84	Tollways	49
Tue Sept 19 Box Score
SkyCable	73	First Gen	39
Mon Sept 18 Box Score
Benpres/Lopez	77	FPHC	75
Fri Sept 15 Box Score
ABS-CBN	72	Bayantel	66
Wed Sept 13 Box Score
Meralco	98	First Gen	30
Tue Sept 12 Box Score
Tollways	80	SkyCable	61
Mon Sept 11 Box Score
FPHC	73	Bayantel	79
Fri Sept 8 Box Score
Benpres/Lopez	71	ABS-CBN	82

Team	Win	Loss	Pct
Finals
Meralco	1	0	1.000
Tollways	0	1	0.000
Battle for 3^rd Place
ABS-CBN	1	0	1.000
Bayantel	0	1	0.000
Semifinals
Meralco	3	0	1.000
Tollways	2	1	0.667
ABS-CBN	0	2	0.000
Bayantel	0	2	0.000
Eliminations
Meralco	7	0	1.000
ABS-CBN	5	2	0.714
Bayantel	4	3	0.571
FPHC	4	3	0.571
Tollways	4	3	0.571
Benpres/Lopez	2	5	0.285
SkyCable	2	5	0.285
First Gen	0	7	0.000
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!! Thursday Nov 16, 2006 Meralco vs Tollways Venue: Meralco Gym, 7pm