PILI, Camarines Sur -- Host CamSur Express and the NCAA's University of Perpetual Help made their presence felt at the start of the 2025 CamSur Cup Invitational basketball championship at the Fuerte Sports Complex on Monday.
National Basketball League runner-up CamSur leaned on Rufino Sablaon’s late three-point basket to bring down visiting Kuala Lumpur Hornbills, 73-70.
Altas strike
Perpetual Help rode on a strong second half to turn back NAASCU champion St. Clare College-Caloocan, 94-77, in the opener of the week-long competition organized by Armstrong Philippines .
Kyle Philip Domagtoy finished with 14 points while Jerome Almarion added 11 points for CamSur, which is honing up for the coming NBL season.
But it was Sablaon III, who was later named Best Player of the Game, who shone brightest for CamSur to the delight of a big opening-day crowd that included Camarines Sur Gov. Luigi Villafuerte and well-known actress Yassi Pressman.
Sablaon finished with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Express
of team manager Solomon Ngo and coaches Genesius Molto, Jr., Gil Lumberio and Ryan Regalado.
His dagger three-pointer with 39 seconds left turned out to be the game’s biggest basket.
Neil Justine Dela Cruz chipped in with seven points.
Kesmendio Singh led the losing effort of the Malaysians with 19 points and two rebounds, followed by Teoh Yi Kang with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Lee Yong Ding contributed 11 points and Tan Kuan Hong chipped in nine points.
The Perpetual Help-St. Clare game was close from the start.
.JP Boral, Patrick Sleat and Axl Jon Manuel led a balanced scoring attack for the Las-Piñas-based Altas of coach Olsen Racela.
Boral, who was named as the Best Player of the Game, finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
Sleat added 16 points, and four assists while Manuel contributed 14 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Justine Bautista carried the fight the Caloocan-based Saints of coach Jino Manansala with 21 points.
Janjan Salazar added 10 points while Joco Borjocelo contributed nine points and three rebounds in a losing effort.
The scores:
First game
Perpetual (94) -- Boral 16, Sleat 16, Manuel 14, Alcantara 10, Maglupay 7, Nunez 7, Cruz 6, Duremdes 6, Casinillo 4, Abis 3, Pizaro 2, Guibao 2, Gelsano 1, Rojas 0, Tulabut 0.
St. Clare (77) -- Bautista 21, Salazar 10, Bojorcelo 9, Ibanez 7, Dela Cruz 6, Manzano 6, Loyola 5, Talavera 5, Gazzingan 5, Desabelle 2, Magno 1.
Quarterscores: 23-23, 46-49, 75-67, 94-77.
Second game
CamSur Express (73) -- Domagtoy 14, Almarion 11, Sablaon III 11, Dela Cruz 7, Matos 5, Lim 4, Masinas 4, Redondo 3, Rito 3, V. Mallapre 3, Magpantay 3, Mosalve 2, E.Malapre 2, Belga 1.
KL Hornbills (70) -- Singh 19, Kang 13, Ding 11, Hong 9, Y. Wei 6, T. Wei 5, Wai 2, An 2, Kian 2, Thung 1.
Quarterscores: 10-19, 32-32, 50-44, 73-70.
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