Quezon City storms to North semis

Quezon City flexed just enough muscle in beating Navotas, 99-81, last Sunday and emerging the No. 1 team in the North in the 2017 Metro Basketball Tournament (MBT) seniors competition at the Navotas Sports Complex.

John Mahari, Jesus Manuel Asuncion, Julius Barraquias and Mikhael Justin Salazar and Roque Estoce combined for 62 points for Quezon City, which finished with a 5-1 win-loss record to advance to the North Division semifinals outright in the tournament organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority.

Manila subdued Valenzuela, 85-79, and San Juan routed Caloocan, 106-79, to forge a three-way tie with Marikina for second to fourth places with 4-2 cards in the tourney which has “Mobile App ng Bayan” Barangay 143 as co-presentor, Synergy 88 as main sponsor, my|phone “Bida ang Pinoy” as official mobile phone and Spalding as official ball.

San Juan took the No. 2 seed (1.038), Manila emerged No. 3 (0.989) and Marikina No. 4 (0.972) after the FIBA quotient was applied.

Mahari topscored with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Asuncion 13 points for Quezon City which will face the knockout quarterfinal winner between No. 4 Marikina and No. 5 Navotas in the North playoffs which will begin Sunday.

It will be No. 3 Manila vs. No. 6 Caloocan and No. 2 San Juan vs. No. 7 Valenzuela in the other quarterfinal pairings in the North Division with the San Juan Whatta Whatta having the twiceto-beat edge against the Valenzuela Workhorses in the event sponsored by San Miguel Corp., World Balance, Higer Bus.