PILI, Camarines Sur — CamSur Express survived a tough challenge from University of Perpetual Help System Dalta to eke out a thrilling 82-76 victory and sweep the elimination round in the Cam Sur Cup invitational basketball championship at the Fuerte Sports Complex here Wednesday.

Best Player of the Game awardee Jerome Almario led the charge with 32 points, including 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, for the Express of team manager Solomon Ngo and coach Genesius Molto Jr.

Almario, who is set to apply for the coming PBA draft, also finished with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Rufino Sablaon III added 17 points, while Verman Magpantay, Kyle Philip Domagtoy, and Billy Joe Belga contributed six points each.

Mark Gojo Cruz was the lone double-digit scorer for the Las Piñas-based Altas of coach Olsen Racela, finishing with 23 points and five rebounds.

Allen Maglupay chipped in nine points, while LA Casinillo, Patrick Sleat, John Abis, and Angelo Gelsano added six points each.

Earlier, St. Clare College of Caloocan came through with a heart-stopping 76-71 win over the visiting Kuala Lumpur Hornbills.

Boosted by the arrival of 6-10 Sudanese player Moses Mandiria, the Jino Manansala-mentored Saints kept the Malaysians at bay with tireless hustle plays on both ends of the court.

Mandiria, who was voted as “Best Player of the Game”, finished with a double-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.

The towering Sudan student, who arrive din the country only last week, regaled the highly-appreciative crowd with a couple of alley-oop dunks at the height of the Saints’ comeback.

Joco Bojorcelo topscored for the Caloocan-based Saints with 14 points, three assists, and three rebounds.

Justine Bautista and Lex Gazzingan contributed nine points each, while Ranreb Simbulan and Janjan Salazar added seven points apiece.

Yap Zhi Wei led the losing effort of the Hornbills of coach Adrian Wong with 26 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Wei was ably supported by Lee Yong Ding and Teoh Yi Kang,who added 10 points each, and Azbeel Singh Gill, who contributed nine points.

Koo Tze Kian had seven points, six assists and three rebounds.

The scores:

First game

St. Clare (76) — Bojorcelo 14, Mandiria 11, Bautista 9, Gazzingan 9, Simbulan 7, Salazar 7, Lim 6, Manzano 4, Ibanez 4, Desabelle 4, Manzano 4, Escobido 1
KL Hornbills (71) — Y.Wei 26, Ding 10, Kang 10, Singh 9, Kian 7, Wai 4, T. Wei 4, Hong 1.
Quarterscores: 20-25, 44-45, 60-55, 76-71.

Second game

Cam Sur (82) — Almario 32, Sablaon III 17, Magpantay 6, Domagtoy 6, Belga 6, Borbe 5, Matos 2, Rito 2, Raton 2, E. Mallapre 2, Masinas 1, V. Mallapre 1
Perpetual Help (76) — Gojo Cruz 23, Maglupay 9, Casinillo 6, Sleat 6, Abis 6, Gelsano 6, Alcantara 5, Boral 4, Manuel 3, Tulabut 3, Pizaro 2, Nunez 2, Rojas 1.
Quarterscores: 23-24, 38-39, 61-54, 82-76

AUTHOR PROFILE

Robert Andaya