3 May 2019
CEBU CITY—The Talisay City Aquastars came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to move on the cusp of bagging a second straight crown in the Governor’s Cup Under-21 Inter-Cities and Municipalities Basketball Tournament.
Talisay outlasted the Mandaue City Ballers, 81-76, and seized a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three championship series last Friday night, May 3, at the Talisay City Sports Complex.
The Aquastars will try to close out the Ballers when the series shifts to the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex for Game 2 on Wednesday, May 9.
It was a tough loss for Mandaue, which built a 46-34 lead at the bend despite playing without key player Kenneth Brillo, who sat out to serve a one-game suspension.
Talisay, however, went to work in the third where it staged a 25-18 run to move within five, 59-64, going into the final period.
The two teams figured in a tight duel in the fourth but Talisay proved to be the steadier team and iced the win when Keaton Taburan hit a layup that gave the Aquastars an 81-75 lead with only 20 seconds left.
Jay Deiparine returned from a one-game suspension to lead Talisay with 19 points. Clark Ruedas chipped in 16 markers, Taburnal donated 13, while Kendrick Abarquez contributed 10 points.
Gabriel Cometa topped Mandaue with 22 markers.
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