Home sweet home for Sharks

They may be wading through rough waters but the Cebu City Sharks gave their home fans a reason to be proud of.

Electrified by the large-throng of well-wishers that cheered for them to the top of their lungs , the Sharks put on a show in a resounding 70-66 victory over the Makati City Skyscrapers to make their first home game memorable in the 2018 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Datu Cup late Saturday night at the full-packed University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Basak Campus gym.

Fighting with pride in their hearts, the Sharks built as much as 20 points lead, then quelled a daring endgame challenge by the Makati visitors to arrest a four-game slide and chalk up their only second win in 10 games.

The Sharks collapsed after establishing a 54-34 advantage on a layup by Victor Nuñez with 3:08 left in the third quarter, but regrouped just in time to escape with a close but exhilarating fourpoint triumph to the delight of their townmates.

The Skyscrapers came threateningly close for the last time at 64-68 as William McAloney, a former University of San Carlos (USC) Warrior, calmly sank his pressure-packed free throws to virtually secure the match for the Sharks, 70-64, with only 11 seconds left to play.

Jan Patrick Cabahug, who played for the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers during his high school days, topscored for the Sharks with 22 points and seven rebounds, while McAloney posted a solid double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds laced with two assists.

Up next for the Sharks are the Valenzuela CDO Idol Cheesdog on October 16 at the Ynares Center in Pasig City.Cedric Ablaza and Jerald Bautista each scored 10 for the Skyscrapers, who dropped to 6-4 in a tie with the Laguna Heroes and Bacoor Strikers.

Earlier, Reed Friar Juntilla unloaded 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Rudy Onde, Jr. and Von Harry Lanete chipped in 14 and 11 markers, respectively, as the Zamboanga Valientes overcame a lackluster start to pummel the Basilan Steel, 94-80, and snap out of their three-game skid. The Valientes now hold an even 5-5 record while the Stell fell to 4-7.

PAUL JUN E. ROSAROSO Rhaffy Oktubre of the Cebu City Sharks goes up strong into the hoop during their first MPBL home game against the Makati City Skyscrapers last Saturday night at the USJ-R Basak Campus gym. Cebu won, 70-66.

The officers of the League of Municipalities of the Philppines (LMP)-Cebu Chapter led by their president, Tuburan Mayor Democrito ‘Aljun” Diamante Jr., present the CHAMP (Cebuano Heritage Award for Manny Pacquiao) for the fighting senator during halftime of the MPBL match between the Zamboanga Valientes and the Basilan Steel last Saturday night at the USJ-R Basak Campus gym. Pacquiao was supposed to personally the award but failed to make it to the event due to some unavoidable circumstances.