Alvin Estrellas scored 19 points while big man Herman Abrot added 10 as Tangub suppressed the endgame rally by Villamonte for a 61-59 victory in the curtain-raiser of the 6th Monico Cup Inter-Barangay Under-19 Summer Basketball Tournament yesterday at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose and Activity Center.

Allowing Villamonte to register the first two points of the tournament in the opening quarter, Tangub took control of the game in the second canto, with the fleet-footed Ricky Despi carrying the ball, to post a 29-22 halftime lead.

But Villamonte managed to cut the lead to two points, 37-39, early in the third as Carl Ginete hit a trey and his follow-up in the ensuing play tied the game at 39-39.

Keeping their composure, Tangub scored a couple of fastbreaks to wrest back control as the game entered its final quarter.

Villamonte got a boost in the final minutes as Paolo Javelona, who missed the three quarters of the play, joined his teammates and created some problem for Tangub coach Nane Campo.

With 2:58 left in the clock in payoff time, Villamonte cagers found themselves up by two points, 52-50, as Jeff Ascura and Julian Espiritu pooled their effort to push the team forward.

Still, Tangub refused to let the game slipped from its grasp, holding on to a two-point lead as the time expired.

Ascura topscored for Villamonte with 18 points while Espiritu finished with 15.

The tournament, now on its sixth year, drew participation from 29 barangays in Bacolod City.

It is open to players in the city who are permanent residents of the barangay they represent and are below 19 years old on or before the start of the games.

College varsity players who have played in the regular basketball tournaments such as NOPSSCEA, Inter-Collegiate Games, and Unigames, after June 2002 are not eligible to participate.

Those who played in any professional basketball league and are transient players are also not allowed to join in the tournament.*NAB

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