Karbala & Javelosa lead Reedley past De La Salle Lipa for third straight win

Reedley crushes La Salle Lipa to go to 3-0 in MMBL play

by rick olivares

The Reedley Silverbacks drew strong performances from its entire bench en route to a 71-43 demolition of hopelessly outgunned De La Salle Lipa (Batangas) to go to 3-0 in Division III-B play of the Metro Manila Basketball League.

With seven-foot Karbala Gueye and six-five national teamer Jay Javelosa controlling the lane, DSLL had only two shots inside the lane all first half (one which was rejected by the latter).

La Salle Lipa actually led in the first few minutes 8-4 with shooting guard Ranger Dimaunahan firing away from the outside. After a La Salle triple that put the Batangas team a point behind Reedley that had finally taken the lead from the visiting team, Javelosa, utilizing his point guard skills that he first honed while as a Ateneo Blue Eaglet during his elementary years, brought down the ball and fed Gueye on consecutive possessions for a vicious slam dunks. That fueled an 18-4 sprint that saw the Silverbacks end the first period comfortably ahead, 36-21.

Javelosa and Gueye scored all 18 of those Reedley points in that decisive run. Reedley’s Taiwanese forward, Jason Chiu (making his first appearance and a start at that in three matches), provided hustle during the run as he stole the ball and assisted on two of Karbala’s baskets.

Chu’s hustle was contagious as point guard Joey Tuason and Patrick Levy also provided scoring punch. Tony Torres, who came in the fourth period also carried them team when Reedley Coach Nat Imson rested his starters.

Gueye topscored with 20 points and 20 rebounds while Javelosa added 19 points and 14 rebounds and five assists.

Ranger Dimaunahan finished with 14 points for La Salle.

It was Reedley’s first lopsided win in their maiden stint in the Metro Manila Basketball League. Their first two matches were down-the-wire affairs where Javelosa preserved a two-point lead with a game saving block in the season opener against St. Benilde International School and a pair of clutch free throws to ice their second win over National University-C.