Bumblebees outmasters OGs, heads to finals

Team Bumblebees advances to the APCRAA Alumni Basketball Tournament (AABT) 2016 season men’s division championship round after defeating Team OGs, 99-88 on Saturday, October 1 at the APC Gymnasium.

The Bumblebees avenged their defeat against the OGs in the semifinal round of the 2015 Second Conference, to book a ticket for their first finals appearance.

MVP candidate Norman Ringor tallied his sixth consecutive double-double game, finishing with 24 points, 16 rebounds with 3 assists. Brix Estabillo also had a good game with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals.

OG’s Mando Batuhan led his team in scoring with 36 points, with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.The troika of Mhar Paraiso, Paolo Diaz and JP Redelick gave a scoring output of 18, 17 and 11 points respectively.

The Bumblebees led most of the game, reaching as high as 19 points in the third quarter. A late-game rally by the OGs decreased the margin by 4 points with 2:31 left. But missed shots and turnovers became a culprit later in the game. The Bumblebees weathered the storm and held on to the lead until the final buzzer.

The Bumblebees will meet the ASPAC Boys on Saturday, October 15 to determine the champions of the 2016 season men’s division.

Boxscores (click here for full stats):
Bumblebees (99): Ringor 24, Estabillo 24, Belardo 21, Villas 16, Altre 6, Prion 4, Prin 4, Grepo 0, Estoesta 0
OGs (88): Batuhan 36, Paraiso 18, Diaz 17, Redelick 11, Go 4, Prayco 2, Yardan 0, Viray 0, Pitallar 0, Artymiak 0, Aotay 0.
Quarterscores: 23-24, 53-39, 82-67, 99-88