17 November 2015,
Blue Eagle gym,
Ateneo de Manila campus,
3 p.m.
(Note: It’s been awhile since I have written a piece in my blog. My father passed away last November, and I’ve taken my time off to reflect on things that have gone by these past months. Now. I’m back.)
Aljun Melecio is now the new scoring leader of the La Salle Zobel Junior Archers.
Last Tuesday, the Junior Archers leaned on the efforts of Aljun and his teammate Mario Sario in turning the tables on the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Maroons.
They scored a 72-61 win on the second playdate of the the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Junior Basketball Tournament at the Arena in San Juan.
In this game, Melecio led with 26 points for the Junior Archers as they posted their second straight win.
On the other hand, Sario sank 11 of 17 points during a crucial third period comeback.
On the other hand, the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eaglets and the Adamson Baby Falcons bounced back with a pair of big wins.
Lorenzo “Jolo” Mendoza scored a careerhigh 34 points to power the Blue Eaglets to an 85-66 smothering of the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws.
The Baby Falcons, led by Jerry Abadiano and Jose Antiporda, pulled of an 83-52 demolition of the University of the East Junior Warriors.
The two squads now share the same 1-1 win-loss record with the Baby Tamaraws.
The Blue Eaglets win allowed them to bounce back from a 71-84 upset they suffered in the hands of the La Salle Zobel Junior Archers last Saturday.
In doing so, Mendoza surpassed a seasonhigh 30 points which he made for the Blue Eaglets when blasted the defending champion National University Bullpups, 90-73, in Game 3 last season when they claimed the season 77 crown.
The Junior Archers rallied out of a 26-33 halftime deficit, first behind Sario, and then off Melecio, whose back-to-back baskets in the last 24 seconds game them a 66-55 edge.
“We were soft from the start. We had to be more aggressive in the second half. They were tall. So we forced them to run,”said Junior Archers coach Boris Aldeguer.
“I just told them, the championship hangover is done. We lost already. It’s time to play basketball. They just wanted to bounce back from their loss to La Salle-Zobel,” said Blue Eaglets coach Joe Silva.
The Blue Eaglets started strong with their 9-0 which Mendoza, Shaun Ildefonso, Giam Mamuyac and Justine Eustaquio led, and this allowed them to earn at 27-12 edge after the first 10 minutes of action.
Mendoza unloaded 14 points in the second period, as the Blue Eaglets went on to dominate the first half, 55-32.
Abadiano and Antiporda knocked in 12 points for the Baby Falcons.
The Baby Falcons were hardly in trouble after they took a 31-21 edge late in the second period.
The scores:
La Salle Zobel 72- Melecio 26, Sario 17, Paraiso 13, Romero 13, Romero 6, Cabarrus 4, Fortuna 2, Sobrevega 2, Tongco 2, Francisco 0, Cosejo 0, Terrado 0.
UPIS 61- J. Gomez de Liano 19, Ja Gomez de Liano 13, Gozum 8, Lina 6, Barles 6, Gregorio 5, Vergeire 3, Labao 1, Ralph Labao 0, Santiago 0, Lagahit 0.
Quarterscores: 20-11, 26-33, 58-49, 72-61.
Pektus Corner 