Gerry Mendez has his way in Siemens’ clean slate

Dubai: Gerry Mendez was unstoppable as he single-handedly led Siemens to a well-fought 103-98 win over Al Hur Al Abyad in the PEBC/Cebuana Lhuillier UAE Cup being played at Al Shabab Club.

Mendez registered a rare double - 38 points and eleven rebounds - and his assigned guards were unable to keep up as Siemens walked away with their fourth straight win.

Siemens, who now lead the standings with 4-0 win/loss record, started like wildfire as Mendez chalked up 9 straight points for a 9-2 early breakaway barely four minutes into the first quarter.

Welland Munoz broke Al Hur’s silence with two pairs of charities then Ruel Habaybay and Sonny Katipunan hit back-to-back triples that give the Abu-Dhabi based company an 11-12 piggy ride.

Jason Araneta retaliated with a booming three beyond the arc while Ruben Dela Rosa, Alex Calueng and Dula (15 points) alternated at the basket for a 25-21 first quarter lead.

The nip and tuck battle continued in the second quarter with Munoz spearheading Al Hur’s offensive thrust that netted him 10 of his team-high 27 points to take the lead 39-37 with 2:45 remaining.

Julius Navalles drove in and Cris Bularon’s second triple kept Al Hur’s 46-42 lead with less than a minute left in the first half.

Jeff Roque combined with Samaniego and Mendez in a 9-0 blast that catapulted Siemens back in the driver’s seat for a 49-46 half-time lead.

The third quarter changed guards for both teams’ offence pattern. Ruben Dela Rosa, who garnered 20 points, took the cudgels from the resting Mendez and ignited a 7-2 run to pad Siemens’ 56-48 lead with only two minutes gone.

Katipunan continued hitting his perimeter jumpers and zeroed in his second triple while Navalles’ short stab brought the war to a standstill – 61-61 with 3:46 remaining. Al Hur, who refused to buckle down despite the intense pressure defence applied by Siemens, dominated the ensuing plays and regained back the lead 74-70 going to the last quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Al Hur continued the onslaught as Navalles opened the hostilities with his third triple then Bularon combined with Pardillo, Munoz, and Villariza in 22-17 run and gun for a 92-87 cushion with 4:26 remaining.

Mendez was far from finished in the final quarter as he combined with Jeff Roque in a blinding 16-5 run that propelled Siemens’ to a 103-98 win.

In other matches, Capital Engineering, led by the game’s Best Player winner Jojo Roque who top-scored with 21 points, carved out a pulsating 70-65 win over MMX12/CEB, while the Dubai Trojans escaped to a nerve-wracking 72-70 win over Fiesta Pinoy Restaurant and Indus Blades survived a late searing rally by Metro Manila Bar/Gulf Craft to eke out a 92-88 win and take second spot in the standings.