MCBL TEAMS

Cebuana Lhuillier captures MCBL Second Conference crown
By Bhenjar Toor (December 22, 2009)

PICKING up where they left off, Team Cebuana Lhuillier fashioned out a convincing win to capture the MPG Corporate Basketball League (MCBL) Second Conference crown over a spirited GCS International squad, 73-61 last Dec. 5 at the Northeast Greenhills Association (NEGA) basketball gym..

Cebuana Lhuillier Head coach Rhuel “Beaujing” Acot, having lost to their nemesis 70-68 in the elimination round, made adjustments to match up with GCS top gun Richard Dela Rosa, a former Blu Detergent guard from Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and a teammate of Asi Taulava who is now in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and big man Carlos Cecilia, a Philippine Christian University (PCU) Dolphins standout and a former PBL player as well.

Up by only two points with still three minutes remaining in the regulation, Denice Lee Villamor and Mark Trinidad stepped on the gas to pull away from an equally determined GCS five to increase the lead. Villamor launched back-to-back triples after throwing the first that gave Cebuana Lhuillier a five-point cushion before sealing the victory.

Most Valuable Player awardee Jerry Vi Glorioso, despite missing much of the action came through with crucial defensive stops late in the game to halt a late rally that GCS International tried to initiate.

It was a nip and tuck affair during the 45 minutes of the ballgame with either team getting a clear advantage. Cebuana Lhuillier, considered the underdog going into the championship after losing to a Cecilia-less GCS side during their first meeting in the conference, saw their lead decimated by the third quarter as Chris Sta. Maria, Nestor Turato, and Rosito Ocampo took turns churning in crucial points to tie the ballgame at 48-all and complement Cecilia’s inside presence which put the Cebuana big men in a tight fix.

However, Julian Bagares, Mark Ramos, and Aaron Precilla took turns guarding the prolific Dela Rosa. But it was Ronnie Amoncio who was so effective in guarding the GCS hotshot that Dela Rosa was called for an offensive foul at the backcourt when his elbow hit the leech-like defender on the nose. Amoncio was taken out of the game for a few minutes to help him recover from a botched nose, which proved to be the turning point of the game as the Cebuana five continued to handcuff the GCS ace point guard.

PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President Jean Henri Lhuillier brought the house down by making a triple which ignited a scoring run that saw GCS lose their lead and helped bolster the Cebuana cause at a very crucial stretch of the game.

During the break, Acot instructed the players to make sure that Cecilia and Dela Rosa are well guarded so that they will not be able to pound the ball inside or set the play. The players responded with a blistering run anchored on their stifling full court pressure, trap, and double team defense that took away the fight from the team that swept the elimination round to capture the MCBL Second Conference crown..

It was Cebuana Lhuillier’s second title since joining the MCBL in 2008 who will try to duplicate the feat in the next MCBL season.

Accenture Knights Edge Closer to the Semis
Article: Marci Quintal (November 20, 2009)

Accenture Knights Team A defeated Team RCBC to clinch a playoff spot in the Division B of 2009 MCBL 2nd Conference at NEGA Gym Greenhills San Juan..

Team A took revenge on RCBC who had previously defeated them early in the tournament. They were able to execute their game plan, their usual running attack and sticky defense. The Knights had 13 steals resulting to 20 fast-break points and their rebounding ignited a series of transition baskets.

Leo Naluz exploded for 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, had 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Greg Abellon and Dario Barba added 14 points apiece while Eman Santos finished with 12 points and 8 boards. High-leaper JR De Vera had an all-around game with 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Abet Letim finished with 7 markers and Jayson Iglesias added 6 points.

A win over Metrobank Card this Saturday will give the Knights the top seed and an eventual chance to play for the championship game.

Knights’ Team B continues to show their dominance in the Division C with a 75-34 blow-out win over Team Kaisa.

Team B started strong right from the opening tip and never let Kaisa get in sync. Larry Paa was again deadly in the perimeter and Jayson Imperial’s offensive rebounding gave the Knights’ several second chance points.

Larry, who led the division in scoring with 16.8 points per game, carried Team B with 21 points, 5 boards and three steals. MVP candidate Jayson had another double-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. Coach Jopet added 13 points with 6 boards. Alfred Ferrera also scored 13 while Nokie Raguero contributed 8 points.

Another win this Sunday over NNIT will give Team B a shot for the finals trophy.

The Knights are Still Unstoppable in MCBL
Article: Marci Quintal (October 31, 2009)

Team A continues their winning run in the Division B of MCBL’s 2nd Conference with a 64-30 win over corporate basketball veteran Team Chevron. The Knights clobbered Chevron right from the opening tip as the Knights pushed the lead to 36-17 in the opening half, 48-23 in the third period and never led by less than 20 in the fourth quarter. They were able to execute almost every play, converted almost every shot and completely outran Team Chevron.

Chevron couldn't slow down Leo Naluz, who finished with a game-high 20 points and two steals. Eman Santos added 12 points and 7 rebounds while high-leaper
JR de Vera and 3-point specialist Denmar Casiño contributed six points apiece. Knights' point guard Abet Letim showed his brilliance on both ends of the court with seven points, eight assists and eight steals and was a major catalyst for the Knights rally in the third quarter.

Team B scored another victory, this time against Logica. An impressive 59-44 to show that they are a force to reckon with in Division C of the 2009 MCBL 2nd Conference.

Team B moved ahead quickly and decisively built a 14-4 lead at the end of the first period. The Knights running game and half-court pressure gave them an 11-point halftime bulge, 26-15. Team Logica regrouped and came out hungry in the third quarter to close the gap within five, 37-32; but the Knights were able to sustain their suffocating defense. An offensive surge from the Knights led them to get another 'Win' in the team standings.

Team B was able to control the ball with only 5 turnovers in the whole game. Their defense was remarkable as they piled up 6 block shots and 17 offensive rebounds. Shooting guard Larry Paa led the Knights with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, plus 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Big man Coach Jopet Garcia had another dominating performance in the paint with 12 points and 5 boards. Jayson Imperial, who has a consistent game on both offense and defense since the start of the tournament, scored 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Arbee Yabut finished the game with 8 markers highlighted by 2 three-pointers, and center Sean Riley added 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Accenture Knights Posted Huge Wins Over Respective Rivals
Article: Marci Quintal (October 24, 2009)

Team A downed IBM Business Services with a 72-38 victory. The Knights set the tone early and had an 8-0 run in the opening period capped by Abet Letim’s three-pointer and Leo Naluz fastbreak attack. JR de Vera darted a nifty pass to Verson Lumbang for an 18-5 count.

A back-to-back three-pointer by Dario Barba and Greg Abellon pushed the Knights lead to 35-19. Abet handed out an assist to Denmar and Eman Santos scored on a lay-up to make it 60-29. The game was never close even though IBM converted occasional three-pointers. The Knights’ intensity made IBM look slow and unprepared.

Leo Naluz scored 21 points and dished out 4 assists to lead the Knights’ offensive attack. Abet had an all-around game with 11 points, 8 assists and 7 steals. Dario added ten points while Denmar had nine. Verson finished the game with seven points and JR de Vera added six.

Accenture Knights Team B hung Team Kino to dry with a 92-29 blow-out win to remain unbeaten in this tournament with a 3-0 win-loss slate. Team B dominated Kino on every facet of the game – from beyond the arc to inside the paint.

Larry Paa scored eight points in the first quarter. Jeff Estallo, Coach Jopet and Arnel Urias’ consecutive baskets turned a 6-6 deadlock into a 20-12 lead at the end of the first period. Alfred Ferrera hit a mid-range jumper, Sean Riley scored on consecutive put-backs and Arbee Yabut drained a three-pointer to make it 29-14. A short jumper by Jayson Imperial gave the Knights a 40-15 halftime lead.

Team B maintained their aggressive run in the 3rd period as they piled up the lead, 70-22 at the end of the quarter. Nokie Raguero dished out an assist to Arnel for an easy lay-up and Coach J drilled a turnaround jumper; the score, 78-27. Team B continued to light up the scoreboard as Team Kino could not find an answer to slow down the Knights.

Larry exploded for 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Jayson had 18 points and 14 rebounds. Coach J added 12 points and 8 boards. Arbee finished with 9 markers while Jeff and Sean contributed 8 points apiece. Alfred scored 6 points with 4 steals.

2009 MCBL 2nd Conference: Accenture Knights Twin Victories on Opening Weekend
Article: Marci Quintal (October 23, 2009)

Accenture Knights Team A opened their title quest in the 2009 MCBL 2nd Conference Division B with a 54-50 win over Metrobank Card last Sunday at The Zone, Makati City.

Team A started strong in the opening half and stood their ground the rest of the game. JR de Vera had six points on the Knights’ 13-7 surge in the first quarter. Ed Villanueva and Denmar Casiño scored consecutive baskets while Greg Abellon hit a three-pointer to push the lead to twelve, 21-9. Leo Naluz scored on a lay-up from Jobert Otero’s baseball pass. Dario Barba hit an off-balanced jumper to make it 35-25 but Metrobank made a huge rally on a 14-6 run.

A three-pointer by Metrobank closed the gap within three, 47-44, midway in the fourth quarter. Denmar converted a lay-up from JR's assist to give the Knights some breathing room. Metrobank hit another three, but Denmar scored again on a short stab to make it 53-47. Metrobank drilled another three-pointer from the baseline to pull the lead, 53-50 in the closing seconds of the fourth period. Team A sealed the win with their astounding defense in the crucial moments of the game.

“Although we built a good lead early on, we had a tough time putting them away. But I think Team A did a great job in keeping their composure down the stretch,” said Knights’ Head Coach Charles Montecillo.

“We still have a lot of work to do though, defensively and offensively. I saw a lot of opportunities out there for improvement and we aim to address these as we go along in the season,” he added.

High-leaper JR de Vera led the Knights with 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals and his three blocked shots added more frustrations to Metrobank's hopes. Leo contributed 12 points with two steals while Ed Villanueva added seven. Greg and Denmar had six points apiece while Dario finished with five markers and three assists.

The Accenture Knights made it a double celebration as Team B routed Team Azeus 72-28 in the Division C of the 2009 MCBL 2nd Conference.

Team B dominated the game from start to finish; established double-digit spreads right in the opening period and refused to slow down. The guard tandem of Larry Paa and Arnel Urias ignited the Knights' fast-break attack while playmaker Richard Pello set up their half court plays.

Larry scored the first six points for the Knights in the opening quarter to tie the count at 6-6. From then on, the Knights dominated Azeus on both ends of the court. Verson Lumbang converted a lay-up, Jason Imperial scored on a transition basket, Coach Jopet Garcia drilled a three-pointer and Jepoy Estallo knocked down two straight jumpers for a 24-12 count.

With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the game was already decided as Nokie Raguero hit two three-pointers; Arbee Yabut scored on a tough jumper and knocked down another three to make it 60-23.

“Defense was tight for B and they held their opponent to just 28 points by end of regulation. Although the turn-out may be impressive, Coach J and I still believe that there are things we need to work on to make offense more fluid for B. This is again something we will work on along the way, “said Head Coach Charles Montecillo.

The Knights had 21 steals and four blocked shots. Verson, Jepoy, Jason and Coach Jopet dominated the paint while Jon Madlangbayan proved as one of Team B’s best on-ball defender.

Larry top-scored for Team A with 18 points, 9 rebounds and a game-high 6 steals. Jason added 11 points and eight boards while big men coach Jopet and Jepoy had eight points apiece. Nokie also had eight points while Arbee finished with seven.

“Overall, I’d have to say both squads played well. And we will continue to work on getting better as we establish the Accenture brand name as one of Corporate Basketball’s finest,” added Knights’ Head Coach Charles Montecillo.