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[av_heading heading=’UP Maroons, Sky Cable begin nat’l Iloilo invitational with eager wins | Pototan Coliseum christened by Manila big leagues’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO and RHICK LARS VLADIMER ALBAY
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Sunday, April 30, 2017
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ILOILO City – The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and Sky Cable-Iloilo went on a strong start by handily beating their foes in the 2017 Iloilo National Invitational Championship opener on Friday night at the Pototan Astrodome.
The Fighting Maroons, which comes from championship runs in Davao and Bulacan, continued its pre-season winning streak with a 74-64 domination over the Southwestern University-Phinma Cobras.
The Fighting Maroons leaned on the towering presence of Cameroonian center Bright Akhuetie all game long, but it was the timely conversions of Diego Dario that pulled the Fighting Maroons away from the tightly-contested battle.
Dario finished with 16 points, while University of Perpetual Help Altas transferee Akhuetie and Andres Desiderio contributed 12 and nine markers, respectively, for the Maroons, which is handled by Ilonggo Dolreich “Bo” Perasol.
“We just want to build a winning culture,” said Perasol. “Last year, when we prepared for (UAAP Season 79), wala pa kaming collective experience of winning. Ngayon meron na.”
In the second game, Sky Cable-Iloilo leaned on its veteran players to score a 62-46 rout against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws of rookie head coach Rodericko “Olsen” Racela.
Ilonggo Jaypee Belencion thrilled the crowd with his booming three pointers but it was reinforcement Rodrigue Ebondo’s all-around plays that propeled the Ronjay Enrile-mentored Sky Cable to victory.
The tournament champion at the end of the four-day tilt will take home P70,000, while the second placer will have P50,000, shares Ilonggo sportsman and organizer Ruding Villaruz. P30,000 and P10,000 have been allotted for the third and fourth placers, respectively.
The national invitational doubles as the blessing and inaugural game of the Pototan Coliseum’s basketball court, newly renovated with wooden tiles. To cater to even more sports events, Third District congressman Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. shares he plans to air-condition the entire Pototan Astrodome.
The younger Defensor sees the possibility of Pototan hosting the Asean Basketball League as well as PBA games in the near future, because of the developments in the revamped coliseum.
After being hosted at the Mina Gym on Saturday, the games are set to resume at the Pototan Astrodome today with the UP Fighting Maroons facing FEU-Toto Tia Ten Trucking at 3 p.m. and the SWU-Phinma versus Sky Cable Iloilo tiff kicking off 5 p.m./PN
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