Sports Briefs
Pagunsan rules ICTSI Negros
BACOLOD—Juvic Pagunsan swept the Bacolod legs of the Philippine Golf Tour’s Visayan swing in emphatic fashion, beating James Ryan Lam by four with a 69 and retaining the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic crown here on Saturday. Pagunsan shrugged off an early pressure from Nilo Salahog and a brief challenge from Lam, finishing with three birdies against two bogeys and winning by a big margin despite churning out his “worst” round in four days after a pair of 66s and a 68 for an 11-under 269. Salahog, brilliant in the third round with a 65, fumbled with a 73 this time, enabling Lam to snatch runner-up honors at 273 after a 69.
Cabahug shines for Sharks
In a game where both teams struggled with their shooting, a fit-again Patrick Cabahug proved to be the exception—and that was enough for the Cebu Sharks. Cleared to play just three weeks ago after rehabbing his ankle injury for three months, the Cebuana sniper made the biggest impact as the Sharks notched their first win at the expense of Marikina Shoemasters, 50-42, Friday night in the MPBL Lakan Season at Marist School Gym in Marikina. The former Adamson standout fired 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting for the Sharks, who held the Shoemasters to just 23 percent shooting for the lowest output in league history. Marikina was held to just 13 points in the first half. —CEDELF P. TUPAS
Ravena relishing return to active duty
Kiefer Ravena is making everyone take notice about his looming return to basketball. The 25-year-old guard, who was suspended by Fiba for 18 months after testing positive for banned substances under the World Anti-Doping Agency, said the ban has toughened him physically and mentally. “485 out of 487 days. People will never understand what I went through. This experience has made me tougher, hungrier and a lot wiser,” Ravena posted on Twitter (See complete tweets above). Ravena’s suspension will be lifted in August but he can start practicing with NLEX in the PBA and the national team on June 24. —BONG LOZADA, INQUIRER.NET
