Displaying an intensity and aggressiveness previously missing in their previous games, University of St. La Salle Stingers demolished reigning NOPSSCEA men’s basketball titlist West Negros University Mustangs, 91-71, while William Jessup University from Rocklin, California, stamped their class against the hard fighting Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod Eagles, 91-75, in the Pre-NOPSSCEA Basketball Tournament last night at the WNU Gym.

The stinging blow to the Mustangs was executed by the Stingers in style with five of their players scoring in double digit at the end of the game.

La Salle took the first quarter with a 10-point lead at 23-10 with Lhoy Miraflores, who finished with 13 points, asserting his presence inside the paint to get away with nine points.

With the bench firing up the players with enthusiasm and encouragement, the Stingers contested every shot from the Mustangs and did not cower from the challenge even as WNU’s playmaker Alfie Villariza started hitting his triples.

“Our game plan had worked out and the players were determined to win this one. They gave their 100 percent and remained focused all throughout the game,” USLS head coach Daniel Chiu told the DAILY STAR.

As the Mustangs focused their defense on Miraflores in the second quarter, the Stingers went to newly-acquired hitman Rogie Gelasan and Timothy Dumancas who combined for 11 points while Randy Baydo and Niko Lopingco scored three points each for a 46-34 halftime lead.

The Wesnecans tried to come back in the second half but their shots were bouncing off the rim while the Stingers continued to convert their attempts from the other end, capped by a booming trey from Scot Salvacion at 4:25 mark of third quarter to give La Salle a 20-point lead at 39-59.

From then on, there was no turning back for the Stingers as Daryl Alegora caught fire as well to crush any hope of a comeback from the slumping Mustangs with the lead ballooning to 72-47 at the end of third despite a controversial buzzer beater from WNU’s side with 0.3 second left in the clock.

Trying to dig deep from their reserve strengths, the Mustangs finally managed to outscore the Stingers, 24-19, in the fourth quarter but the effort fell short as the Stingers were way ahead with a 20-point margin in the closing minutes to register their first victory.

Alegora topscored for USLS with 15 points while Dumancas finished with 14, Gelasan with 12 and Baydo chipping in 10 points.

Villariza paced WNU with 17 points while Rolly Jaca delivered 13, Virgilio Dapar contributed 10 and Rashmor Catalino, 8 points.

The Wesnecans will try to avenge their loss this afternoon when they clash against the CSA-B Eagles while University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos Rams go up against the American visitors in the second game.

The pre-NOPSSCEA basketball tournament is organized by the NOPSSCEA Sports Task Force headed by Roger Banzuela and the Life Gate Baptist Group of Pastor Renato Bravo.*NAB/LTG

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