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Batang
Coca-Cola-Taguig claimed its only victory in the
Burlington-Batang Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
Summer League Sunday, a 76-66 romp over Batang Welcoat-San
Pedro at the close of the elimination round at the
Cuneta Astrodome.
Macmac
Lovendino came away with 25 points as the Batang Tigers
wound up its campaign in Group B with a 1-3 (win-loss)
record.
Lovendino scored 14 of his total points in the first
quarter as Taguig erected a 24-8 advantage at the end of
the period before holding off a desperate rally by
Batang Welcoat-San Pedro in the third quarter.
Charles
Salandadan and Christian Hatulan had 28 points apiece
for the Batang Dragons, who suspiciously went into the
game without Clinton Monzones—the team’s best scorer who
is averaging 40-plus points a game.
The
Batang Dragons finished with a 2-2 record but its entry
in the semifinals have been put on hold until the
league’s screening committee has verified the original
and official documents of the team’s two key players.
Should
it turn out that Batang Welcoat-San Pedro has committed
any wrongdoing, Batang Coca-Cola-Taguig will instead
join Group B topnotcher Batang Talk ’N Text-Quezon City
(3-1) in the crossover semifinals along with Batang
Barangay Ginebra and Group A top seed Batang Alaska-Caloocan.
The
Final Four is scheduled on Wednesday at the Araneta
Coliseum.
Earlier,
coach Ramil Cruz, the screening committee chairman,
announced that Batang Magnolia-Makati has fielded two
ineligible players and, in the process, has forfeited
all its won games.
It was a
tough blow for the Batang Beverage Masters who defeated
Batang Red Bull-Mandaluyong, 76-66, in the other game to
finish the eliminations with a 3-1 record—supposedly the
second-best mark in Group B.
“Nobody
wants this thing to happen. We’ve warned the coaches of
the consequences if any team is found to have fielded
ineligible players, Cruz said.
“We are
not just trying to develop children’s basketball skill.
We are also teaching them the value of fair play,” he
added.
The pro
league’s summer tournament is confined to kids nine to
12 years old.
Last
week the screening committee also disqualified Batang
Purefoods-Pasay for committing the same offense. |
