STI College Ortigas-Cainta post first win

Kenneth Afuang topscored for the Cainta team

In their two years competing at the National Level of the STI National Basketball Tournament, a win was so elusive for the STI College Ortigas-Cainta basketball team. In their game against STI College Caloocan, the Rizal based dribblers made sure that they will not end this year’s tournament without a single win as they beat National Finals newcomer STI College Caloocan 66 – 54. Although both teams were already eliminated, both teams were fighting for bragging rights and pride for their respective schools.

Ron Sanvictores skies high for the lay-up

STI College Ortigas- Cainta started out flat as STI College Caloocan took advantage of the lack of energy of the Cainta based dribblers as Ariel Bautista presided over a 14 – 5 opening run that prompted Coach Michael Rafael to call for a timeout. STI College Ortigas – Cainta immediately woke up from their slumber and answered with a 9 – 2 run with Jeff Estabillo scoring off his final heave to make it 16 – 14 for STI College Caloocan at the end of the first quarter.

Ariel Bautista on this jumper

In the second quarter, the Ortigas – Cainta team forced the Caloocan dribblers to seven turnovers which they took advantage of by scoring nine points off those turnovers. The Ortigas – Cainta bench also went to work as they outscored the Caloocan bench 13 – 3. STI College Ortigas-Cainta tried to break the game wide open when they erected a nine point lead 29 – 20 with four minutes remaining off a Van Dam Locsin three pointer. But the resilient STI College Caloocan team battled back as Erland Sarmiento completed a three – point play while Jomar Salazar sank a three pointer and scored on a fastbreak to bring down the lead to one point 28 – 29 and the quarter ended with Ortigas – Cainta up by a solitary basket 32 – 31.

Paolo Alcantara scores on this putback

In the third quarter, STI College Ortigas-Cainta started to pull away. The defense employed by the STI College Ortigas-Cainta team was so suffocating that they made the Caloocan team bleed for points. STI College Caloocan was held to 16% shooting as they made only 3 field goals in 19 attempts.  On the other hand the STI College ORtgias-Cainta offense clicked as Jeff Estabillo, Vincent Vigil and Kenneth Afuang ran rings around their defenders. As the third quarter ended STI College Ortigas-Cainta was leading by nine 50 – 41.

Jeff Estabillo scores in traffic

In the fourth quarter, STI College Ortigas-Cainta coasted along and protected their lead as Kenneth Afuang and Richard Palanca answered every Caloocan run sparked by their skipper Mark Abin.  The most telling stats of the game showed that STI College Ortigas-Cainta had a better shooting clip 52% (27/52) to 29% (20/69), and had 10 blocks to Caloocan’s zero.  STI College Caloocan outrebounded  ORCA 43 – 34, had lesser turnovers (14 – 15) and had more steals (6-5), sometimes the stats really don’t determine the game outcome.

Jomar Salazar scores on this fastbreak

The scores:

STI COLLEGE ORTIGAS-CAINTA (66)

Afuang 14, Estabillo 10, Vigil 10, Sanvictores 8, Paredes 7, Ramos 4, Palanca 4, Alcantara 4, Locsin 3, Picones 2, Pilapil 0

STI COLLEGE CALOOCAN (54)

Bautista 11, Salazar 10, Sarmiento 9, Schmidt 8, Abin 5, Maala 5, Lazaro 4, Flores 2, Aquino 0,

Quarter scores:

14 – 16, 32 – 31,  50 - 41, 66 - 54