MLKP reclaims status as top team

MVP Bruce Dacia.(Contributed photo)


MLKP celebrates again.(Contributed photo)










Games on December 17 – New Cebu Coliseum

4:00PM Opening Ceremonies
4:30PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City vs. Tagaytay City
6:00PM Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue vs. Zamboanga City

CEBU CITY – M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City reclaimed its status as the top team in Southern Philippines by thrashing Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr, 75-62, and captured the 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference late Saturday evening at the New Cebu Coliseum.

This marks the third championship in four conferences for the Jewelers of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul Alcoseba, taking the best-of-three series, 2-1. M. Lhuillier won Game One, 76-75. MisOr of Gov. Oscar Moreno rebounded by taking Game Two, 97-94.

Unlike the first two games that were decided in the final seconds, this time M. Lhuillier made sure the outcome would be settled early. From a 10-10 standoff in the first quarter, Finals Most Valuable Player Bruce Dacia teamed with gunner Stephen Padilla and big man Leo Bat-og in a 14-2 run that spanned also the second period en rout to a comfortable 36-22 M. Lhuillier edge at halftime.

MisOr’s go-to guys Nat Cruz, Anton Villoria and Mark Moreño fell prey to M. Lhuillier’s tenacious defense, as they had a hard time finding their groove. The usually prolific trio could only combine for 25 markers, with Cruz hitting only nine after tallying 20 and 24 in the first two games. Overall, only six players fielded by Coach Bong Abad managed to score.

Dacia began the second half with a triple and then added three free throws off back-to-back technical fouls on MisOr’s bench for excessive complaining. Bat-og, using his veteran smarts to outplay MisOr’s younger and taller centers, knocked in back-to-back stabs for M. Lhuillier’s biggest lead of the game, 62-42, with still 6:28 to go in the third.

It was smooth sailing from there as Dacia and Padilla made key final quarter baskets to hold off all of MisOr’s attempts to cut the deficit. The final buzzer signaled a fitting ending to the successful second season of the community-based league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) and made possible by ML Kwarta Padala, Nature’s Spring Water, Accel, Reva Sandals, Gameface.Ph and Nike Basketball.

MVP Dacia finished with 18 points. Padilla followed with 16 off three triple. Averaging less than a point entering the game, Bat-og exploded for 12 points. Frank Nailon paced MisOr with 16 followed by Ramil Tagupa with 12.

Fresh from their latest conquest, M. Lhuillier leads fellow MVBA squads MisOr, Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue and Arthro Kontran Arthritis and guest teams from Tagaytay City and Zamboanga City in the six-team, four-day MVBA Christmas Cup starting Tuesday at the Coliseum. M. Lhuillier battles Tagaytay in the opener at 4:30PM followed by Landmaster’s duel with Zamboanga at 6:00PM. A simple opening ceremony will be held at 4:00PM. How

They Scored:
M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (75) – Dacia 18, Padilla 16, Batg-og 12, Enriquez 8, Capati 8, Cavan 5, Basco 4, Latonio 2, Gatumbato 1, Caputolan 1, Aying 0.
HOLCIM PRYCE-MISOR (62) – Nailon 16, Tagupa 12, Villoria 11, Concha 9, Cruz 9, Moreño 5, Numeran 0, Abadia 0, Jabagat 0, Sanchez 0, Sevilla 0. Period Scores: 17-12, 36-22, 58-46, 75-63. (M. Lhuillier wins series, 2-1)
(Anthony E. Servinio)