Cesafi stars give SMB tough time

Sunstar Cebu
September 3, 2007

FOR a college selection playing against a professional basketball team, the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) All Stars showed the future looks good for the top sport in the country.

San Miguel Beer won, that was a given, but not by much, 90-86. The Cesafi players showed they were no pushovers, making Beermen work for the win in a charity match played before an overflowing Cebu Coliseum.

All through the first three periods, the Beermen were struck dumbfounded when they came face to face with a gritty and talented lineup.

In the first period, the Cesafi team went on a 14-7 run, banking on two triples by Southwestern University’s Eric Zanoria, to turn an 11-17 deficit into a 25-24 lead by the end of the period.

In the second period, the Cebuanos leaned on a scorching 13-0 rally behind University of the Visayas’ Ariel Mepaña, University of Southern Philippines Foundation’s Moncrief Rogado, to build a nine-point lead, which they kept throughout the period.

Everything unraveled for the Cesafi squad, however, in the third period. The bigger Beermen started chipping on the lead, coming to just a point behind, 67-66, by the end of the quarter.

In the final quarter, the Cesafi All Stars were silenced for good as Chris Calaguio scored all of his points at this juncture to help San Miguel snatch the driver’s seat, 75-69.

With the help of Cebuano Dondon Hontiveros and Gabby Espinas, San Miguel took over the game. What Cesafi did for the last three quarters, Hontiveros and his squad did in just a short while eye as they took over the lead and held on to it until the game ended.

Hontiveros, a former University of Cebu player, was the star in yesterday’s game, proving that he still has a loyal following in the city.

“I went to the game to watch Dondon,” said one spectator yesterday.

Every move by the Cebuano basketball star was received with booming cheers from the crowd.

Hontiveros led SMB with 17 markers while Larry Fonacier and Enrico Villanueva added 12 each.

The game, which Hontiveros organized, will benefit under-privileged but deserving students of Cebu.

Mepaña starred for Cesafi, leading the team with 16 points. His school teammate, Gregory Slaughter, who is another crowd favorite, contributed 12 points.

The scores:
San Miguel (90) – Hontiveros 17, Villanueva 12, Fonacier 12, Espinas 9, Wilson 8, Eman 7, Calaguio 7, Tugade 7, Ildefonso 6, Gonzales 3, Tenorio 2.
Cesafi All-Stars (86) - Mepana 16, Slaughter 12, Zanoria 9, Llanto 8, Diputado 7, Berame 6, Abellanosa 6, Abobo 5, Lanete 4, Luga 4, Ramirez 3, Rogado 2, Gudez 2, Malinao 2.

(MCB)