Toyota Balintawak downs Montaña Davao, 97-95

Games on January 31 – New Cebu Coliseum
4:30PM Battle for Third Place
6:00PM Championship

CEBU CITY – Teams from Metro Manila’s Philippine Basketball League (PBL) survived their respective bruising knockout matches Tuesday and advance to the crossover semifinals of the 2008 M. Lhuillier Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Sinulog Cup at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The Pharex Medics routed Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon, 107-79, while the Toyota-Balintawak Road Kings tripped Montaña Pawnshop-Davao in the nightcap, 97-95. The Medics will face defending champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City while the Road Kings drew Fifth Avenue Telecoms in the semifinals being completed last night at press time.

Guard Pocholo Villanueva essayed a superb performance down the stretch to lift the Road Kings of Coach Ariel Vanguardia. Villanueva intercepted the ball and was promptly fouled with nine seconds to play, sinking both freebies to push the Road Kings further ahead, 95-91. Roland Lamocha scored on a follow-up of a Marvin Poloyapoy missed triple to threaten for the last time, 93-95. In the ensuing sequence, Villanueva drew a foul from Poloyapoy and then iced the game with two more charities and four ticks remaining, 97-93. Rocky Clavel settled the final score with a lay-up at the buzzer.

The good game was marred by a bench-clearing rumble with 3:01 left in the third quarter and the Road Kings comfortably on top, 68-54. Jonathan Aldave and Ryan Abañes wrestled position while waiting for a rebound play resulting in both guards falling to the floor, triggering the melee. Timely intervention by MVBA officials prevented the incident from blowing up any further. Aldave and Abañes were immediately thrown out from the game.

Fired up, Montaña of Armando Quibod and Coach Nic Serafica rallied and seized the lead on a reverse lay-up by Michael Manigo with 2:50 left in the final canto, 86-85. Their celebration was short-lived as Frederick Rodriguez restored the lead to the Road Kings and Villanueva stole the inbound pass en route to an easy lay-up for an 89-86 advantage. In ensuing lull, Henry Fernandez was slapped with a technical foul for elbowing Villanueva during the earlier sequence, sending him to the foul line for two more free throws, 91-86, and 2:11 to play.

Villanueva led the Road Kings with 17 points, 12 coming in the crucial fourth quarter. Bryan Faundo followed with 11. Lamocha paced Montaña with 22 points while Clavel added 11.

The first game also had its share of action. With 4:53 to go in the second period, Randy Sevilla bit into a fake by Jam Alfad, resulting in Sevilla planting an elbow that opened a cut on the Pharex enforcer’s head. Alfad reacted by pushing Sevilla, prompting both referees to slap disqualifying fouls on the two. The Medics of Coach Carlo Tan were on top, 37-23. As both teams were exiting towards their dugouts for the halftime break, Alfad rushed to Sevilla. Luckily for both, Pharex and MVBA officials quickly restrained Alfad.

The Medics blew the game wide open in the third quarter, erecting their first 20-point margin, 65-45, on back-to-back baskets by Sean Co. Hotel Fortuna coach Elmer Cabahug then turned to Restycel Getubig and 6’11” Gregory Slaughter to keep their side in contention.

Slaughter opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play that put Hotel Fortuna at its closest, 64-74. However, the Medics countered with a 13-0 blast that delivered the knockout blow, 87-64, and still 6:30 on the clock.

Richard Ian Saladaga paced Pharex with 20 markers followed by Ronnie Matias with 13. Getubig, a Cagayan de Oro Rapid during the MVBA’s maiden season, led Hotel Fortuna with 21 while Slaughter knocked in 14.

How They Scored:

PHAREX (107) – Saladaga 20, Matias 13, Gerilla 12, Co 12, de Guzman 11, Alfad 10, Oreta 10, Bulawan 9, Villamin 7, Bughao 3.

HOTEL FORTUNA-BOLJOON (79) – Getubig 21, Slaughter 14, Berame 12, Lanete 9, Sevilla 6, Diputado 5, Lao 4, Paglinawan 2, Dennison 2, Nicanor 2, Sendrijas 2, Luga 0, Cincoflores 0.

Period Scores: 26-16, 47-35, 74-61, 107-79.
* * *
TOYOTA-BALINTAWAK (97) – Villanueva 17, Faundo 11, Cabahug 10, Santa Maria 9, Ortiguerra 8, Balgos 8, Rodriguez 8, Sena 6, Hayes 5, Dedicatoria 5, Guerrero 5, Jaime 3, Aldave 2, Tan 0, Retaga 0.

MONTAÑA-DAVAO (95) – Lamocha 20, Clavel 15, Fernandez 14, Abañes 8, Santa Cruz 8, Dawal 7, Quibod 6, Guiyab 5, Poloyapoy 3, Braga 3, Manigo 2, Jawod 2, Ayson 0, Endrinal 0.

Period Scores: 23-24, 52-40, 72-63, 97-95.