Arnol Laureño exploded with 34 points to lead AACI Transport past Royal Star Trading, 89-85, in the recent match-up of the Fil-Sino All Asian Countertrade Inc. Inter-Company Basketball Tournament at Bacolod Tay Tung High School Po Hang gym.

In the other game, Jappy Cuaycong also delivered 34 to anchor a JSY Countertrade victory against Basecom, 94-84.

Royal Star Trading lacked the ceiling to counter the inside dominance of Laureño , Romar Desusa and Pao Pao Lim, who propelled AACI Transport to another win.

Desusa and Lim scored on offensive putbacks with 19 and 11 points, respectively, as AACI Transport also got a big lift from Tubby Villanueva with 14 points.

Royal Star trailed 44-33 at first and managed to catch up in the third quarter with Ren Ren Lacson and Badong Eufre conspiring for 18 points as the team lived on their fastbreak attacks and outside shooting to force a deadlock at 65-all.

It was a nip and tuck battle in the payoff quarter but the frontline of Royal Star was crippled with foul trouble as Laureño had a free pass in the shaded area scoring 11 of the last 14 points for AACI Transport to seal the victory.

Lacson paced Royal Star with 23 points while Monroe Chua added 16, Badong Eufre shot 13, Villanueva and Chua contributed 10 points each, while Stephen Tan added six points.

In the second game JSY COuntertrade turned their slim 17-16 opening quarter advantage to a 46-31 lead at halftime as Jappy Cuaycong and Simon Tan scored 14 and 7 points, respectively.

Basecom produced its best quarter behind Richard Co, Biboy Uysang and Ervin Tan combining for 25 points but JSY Countertrade equaled their quarter output as JP Tan scored 10 points and Daniel Ong shot seven markers to keep the lead at 74-59 going to the fourth quarter.

Uysang continued to produce the numbers for Basecom with 14 points and RJ Iligan knocked down three treys to finally outscore Countertrade, but they could not overhaul the double digit cushion as Cuaycong and Ong combined for 16 points to counter the Basecom uprising.

Backstopping Cuaycong were Daniel Ong with 18 points, Simon Tan scored 15, JP Tan delivered 14, Kevin Hinolan contributed 7, and Bol Manaloto had 6 points.

Uysang paced Basecom with 29 points, Richard Co and Ervin Tan with 18 points each and Iligan made 15 points.

Meanwhile, two Fil-Sino teams, coached by Jimmy Yap, swept the Iloilo Fil-Chinese Basketball Assn. in their annual friendship game during the weekend at St. Joseph Gym in Iloilo City.

Fil-Sino A defeated its IFCB, 90-81, as Carlo Chu paced FS with 17 points.

Fil-Sino B scored a 70-59 victory over their Ilonggo counterparts with Jappy Cuaycong and Chibon Uy delivering 13 points each.*

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