Last season’s runner up Western Union nailed its fifth win as they managed to escaped the Hanpa Cardinals, 85-82 Sunday in the 2012 season of the Filipino Basketball League at the Palau National gym.

Down 48-34 at the end of the first half, Western Union managed to re-group themselves as they spurted a 30-15 run in the third as they managed to get hold of the lead via 64-63. Then Western Union went for the kill in the last canto to claim their fifth win and sport a 5-1 win-loss record in the team standings.

Dennis Castro led Western Union with 31 points while Enelson Quito topscored for Hanpa Cardinals with 12 markers as they slipped to 1-5.

In other games, defending champion FR Spoilers drubbed the Jaguars, 104-71; and MJ Rangers defeated Rams/Guardians, 91-64.

On the other hand, 9Ball Friendsters won over FR Spoilers, 100-72 in the Master’s League. But the game was placed on protest as FR Spoilers contested that 9Ball Friendsters’ Darwin Fuentebella did not play in the first round as he went home to the Philippines for a vacation.

As stated in the ground rules, players who are in the team roster must be able to play at least one game in the first round to be eligible to play in the second round. If a play fails to play a single game in the first round, he will not be able to play in the second round.

The matter is still being resolved by the Master’s League committee and results of the protest will be known within the week.

The FBL officers announced that there will be no games on May 6 to give way for the first general assembly of The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP). The assembly will be held at the Mindszenty gym starting at 10 a.m.

Games will resume on May 13. This year’s FBL sponsors are ATT Karaoke Disco Bar, Aqua Pure Water, Blue Bay Petroleum, Budget Mart 1 and 2, CTSI Logistics, FR Construction, GF Automotive, Hanpa Industries, HBO Company, Kabayan Restaurant, Kramers, MJ Trading, Ngeremlengui Quarry, Ocean View/ABA, Palau Curtain, PDC, Pinoy Express Remittance, Pinoy Restaurant, PNQ, Roll’EM Productions/OTV, Sams Tours, Sea View KTV, Shimbros Inc., Socio-Micronesia, Surangel and Sons, The Taj, VMJ Construction, WCTC, Engr. Bobby Pineda, Jun dela Cruz, Koki Beech, Terry Li Hong, Engr. Ogi Pineda, Engr. Ben Asuncion and TFCP executive and board officers.  By Peter Erick L. Magbanua (Island Times News)