The two new teams squared off in their debut match for the APCRAA Alumni Basketball Tournament (AABT) 2016 season on Saturday, August 20 at the APC Gymnasium.
Team Alpha came out with a come-from-behind victory against the Cav Guards, 92-88.
Jeru Castañares led all scorers for Team Alpha with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Reigning MVP, Pepe Canseco, had a good all-around game, scoring 8 points, with 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks and 4 steals.
The Cav Guards were led by Ronnie Corsino with a double-double performance of 28 points and 11 rebounds, plus 1 block and 3 steals. Cristian Tragico also made his presence felt by tallying 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Two other players also scored in double digits; Mervin Quilang (14 points) and Joseph Germo (12 points).
The Cav Guards controlled the tempo of the game from tipoff and led by as much as 12 points in the first quarter, but Team Alpha kept the gap small up to the third quarter. The Cavs lost their lead at the 3 minute mark of the game, with turnovers and missed shots becoming imminent with the Cavs. Team Alpha was then able to come away with the victory, thanks to the three point shot of Felix Tagle and the scoring run of Jeru Castañares.
Team Alpha will next see action on September 3 against the ASPAC Boys while the Cav Guards will face Team OGs on August 27.
Boxscores (click here for full stats):
Alpha (92): Castañares 22, Tagle 21, De Luna 16, Canseco 8, Dosado 8, Perez 6, Montojo M. 6, Dionisio 5, Lim 0, Montojo J. 0
Cav Guards (88): Corsino 28, Tragico 20, Quilang 14, Germo 12, Sandigan 6, Cabayan 6, Lavilla 2, Narciso 0, Villanueva 0, Santiago 0, Cuntapay 0, Barcena 0
Quarterscores: 15-24, 40-44, 58-64, 92-88