Niños cap amazing winning run by ruling TOP cage bash

M. Lhuillier KP-Cebu enhanced its status as one of the premier amateur basketball squads yesterday by ruling the first leg of the Tournament of the Philippines. With their vaunted firepower in full display right from the start, the Cebu Niños overpowered the Ascof Lagundi Cough Busters, 83-70, at the Emilio Aguinaldo College gym. The Niños capped their perfect record in this tournament with a title-clinching victory – and additional points heading to the next round. Counting their 21-game winning run in sweeping the Liga Conference III last year, the Niños stretched their streak to 25 to impose fear against their rivals in the inaugural joint tournament of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and Liga Pilipinas. Unlike in their first three games, Cebu seized the initiative early behind the power plays of Marlon Basco and the torrid sniping of Stephen Padilla and Bruce Dacia before turning on the heat in the second quarter to rip the game wide open. Basco was almost unstoppable as he exploded for 25 points while Padilla, who bagged the MVP plum, and Dacia combined for 26 points as the Niños beat the Cough Busters for the second straight day. "Mas maganda na ang nilaro namin ngayon unlike in our previous games," said coach Yayosa Alcoseba, whose team secured a total of 15 points after gaining 10 points for completing a four-game sweep of the leg. "I believe we're going to play much better now that we got our conditioning back," added Alcoseba, who also drew big performance from veteran guard Warren Ybanez. Padilla had his lowest output of the leg, finishing with only 12 points. The ex-pro guard, however, came away with three triples in the payoff period at a time when he was inserted back in action after sitting out most of the third period. With Padilla resting, the Pascual Laboratories franchise pulled within 53-47 after falling behind by 17 points in the second quarter, 44-27. The next leg will be held in General Santos City where boxing idol and newly-elected Sarangani congressman Manny Pacquiao is expected to play for his team. - RCJ, GMANews.TV