OTs mark MisOr leg

TEAM STANDINGS

Misamis Oriental Meteors 2-0

M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos 1-1

Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue 1-1

MP Warriors of GenSan 0-2

     CAGAYAN DE Oro City – Overtimes marked the second day of the Misamis Oriental Leg of the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V Thursday at the packed Xavier University Gymnasium.  The host Misamis Oriental Meteors needed overtime to subdue the defending National Champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos, 81-74.  Not to be outdone, the Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue went through two extensions before prevailing over the MP Warriors of GenSan in the opening game, 86-80.

     Dino Daa then starred in the overtime by hitting the Meteors’ first five points, including the go-ahead triple with 2:29 remaing, 75-72.  M. Lhuillier suddenly went cold as Ken Bono shot four free throws for a 79-72 edge at the 46-second mark.  Ardy Larong then sealed the win with a basket and 19 ticks to play, 81-72.

     Neil Raneses forced the overtime via a tip-in of a Rudy Lingganay miss with 14 seconds left in regulation, 70-70.  In the ensuing play, M. Lhuillier threw away the ball but recovered with a solid defensive stand that stopped a driving Egay Billones at the buzzer.

     The Meteors were on top by six with three minutes to go, 68-62, and then saw their lead evaporate on a furious rally by M. Lhuillier.  Mark Ababon drained a triple and Ogie Menor added a free throw to put the Ninos ahead with 40 ticks left, 70-68.

     Raneses led the Meteors with 17 points while Lingganay had a good all-around performance of 15 points, eight rebounds, six assists and six steals.  Allein Maliksi topped M. Lhuillier with points followed by Ababon with a 12.

     With the win, the Meteors of Gov. Oscar S. Moreno and Coach Jun Noel improved to 2-0 and placed a foot in Saturday’s finale made possible by San Miguel, Molten, Summit Natural Drinking Water and Accel.  M. Lhuillier of Michel J. Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba leveled their card at 1-1.

     Meanwhile, Liga pacesetter Mandaue turned to two-time weekly Most Valuable Player Mark Magsumbol in the two extra periods as he scattered 15 of his 22 total markers despite a hurting lower back.  Jam Alfad tied the game for the last time at 76-76 on two free throws after which Magsumbol scored Mandaue’s next seven markers for an 83-77 advantage with 29 ticks left.  Ariel Capus then insured the victory with three free throws.

     Warrior Louie Medalla played the hero’s role to the hilt as he bailed out his team twice – first with a triple with a second left in regulation and then another triple with 37 seconds to play in the first overtime that both equalized the count at 61-61 and 70-70 respectively.  The Warriors actually had a chance to grab the game in regulation but Jonathan Parreno missed three throws off a Magsumbol foul at the 14-second mark and Mandaue ahead, 60-58.  Harold Sta. Cruz then gave the Warriors another chance by making only one free throw off Alain Musni’s foul with 11 seconds to go, 61-58.

     Capus supported Magsumbol with 17 points while Sta. Cruz had 12 points and 18 rebounds.  Alfad paced the Warriors with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Medalla finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.  Musni also had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

     Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Rick King and Coach Jun Tan improved to 1-1 and could sneak into Saturday’s finals with a convincing win over the Meteors Friday.  The still winless Warriors of Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Coach Arvin Bonleon can also still make the finals if they beat M. Lhuillier and hope for a big Mandaue loss for a triple tie.

How They Scored:

First Game

     MANDAUE (86) – Magsumbol 22, Capus 17, Sta. Cruz 12, Dedicatoria 12, Doruelo 8, Mondragon 4, Marlon Basco 4, Losentes 4, Villaver 3, Guiyab 0.

     GENERAL SANTOS (80) – Alfad 18, Medalla 16, Musni 14, Angeles 10, Mendoza 9, Parreno 6, Bucao 2, Concepcion 2, Timon 2, Locsin 1, Sagad 0, Callo 0, Cordero 0.

     Period Scores: 19-13, 29-23, 47-47, 61-61 (reg.), 70-70 (OT), 86-80 (2OT).

Second Game

     MISAMIS ORIENTAL (81) – Raneses 17, Lingganay 15, Billones 11, Daa 7, Larong 7, Gerilla 6, Bono 6, Misa 5, Lamocha 5, Gudez 2, Capati 0, Moreno 0, Lucernas 0.

     M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (74) – Maliksi 19, Ababon 12, Jeffries 9, Mepana 7, Hayes 6, Menor 6, Raymundo 4, Belano 4, Baguion 3, Saladaga 2, Santos 2.

     Period Scores: 19-18, 38-37, 56-52, 70-70 (reg.), 81-74 (OT).PR

M. Lhuillier keeps 'Araw' cage crown

M. LHUILLIER Kwarta-Padala of Cebu used a suffocating defense and a fiery offense anchored on main gunner Ian Saladaga to crush Montaña Pawnshop, 94-80, and capture the Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Invitational basketball tournament crown before a capacity crowd at the fully-airconditioned Davao City Recreation Center Sunday night.

M. Lhuillier jumped to a 7-0 lead using a man-to-man defense and utilized the early advantage as a springboard to the lopsided victory as the home team simply fell apart from a maze of errors and sloppy plays.

With the win, the Cebuano dribblers retained the crown they won last year and pocketed the P75,000 champion's purse in the five-team field organized by Liga Dabaw and staged as one of the sports highlights of the 74th Araw ng Dabaw celebration.



M. Lhuillier, mentored by Yayoy Alcoseba, bagged P95,000 all in all as Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte also gave P20,000 to each of the teams just for competing in the five-day event.

It was a double celebration for M. Lhuillier as Saladaga emerged the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He had a game-high 24 points in the final game aside from providing the spark for his team with timely baskets down the stretch.

Both M. Lhuillier and Montaña actually finished the single round-robin tournament tied at three wins and one loss each, but the former was declared the champion because of "the team that beat the other" rule.

Bruce Dacia and Nat Cruz provided scoring support for Saladaga with 16 and 15, respectively.

Monta¤a was led by Henry Fernandez with 17 points. Eugene Torres had 15 and Dado Asyon 13.

Montaña finished second to pocket P70,000 while CM Farm and Goldstar Hardware ended up third and fourth, respectively. CM Farm received P55,000 and Goldstar got P45,000. Sanman Corporation ended up fifth and received P30,000.

Liga Dabaw vice chair Atty. Mans Carpio, the husband of the mayor, awarded the cash prizes and trophies to the winners right after the final match.

Atty. Caprio was assisted by Liga Dabaw secretary general William "Butch" Ramirez, assistant city administrator Erwin Alparaque and Regino "Boy" Cua, Region 11 director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) which sanctioned the tournament. (Charles Raymond A. Maxey)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on March 22, 2011.

Goldstar stuns M. Lhuillier

GOLDSTAR Hardware scored a major upset in its final game, dealing defending champion M. Lhuillier-Kwarta Padala of Cebu a stinging defeat in the Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Invitational basketball tournament.

Ronald Capati unloaded 35 points against his former team and Neil Raneses added 15 as Goldstar toppled the mighty M. Lhuillier, 91-85, before a highly appreciative Saturday crowd at the fully-airconditioned Davao City Recreation Center.

In the second game, Montaña Pawnshop beat Sanman Corporation, 95-76, to grab the solo lead in the five-team field with a 3-0 slate and needs only to beat M. Lhuillier in its final game to seal the crown.

It was another stunning win for the Goldstar dribblers, who opened the tournament with two straight defeats only to bounce back with a two-game win streak.

The loss jeopardized M. Lhuillier's bid to retain its title. It needs to beat Montaña in its final match to force a 3-1 slate and rely on the quotient system to eventually break the tie.

On Friday, Goldstar topped Sanman, 112-104, and its victory over M. Lhuillier gave the team a 2-2 card. M. Lhuillier is at second with 2-1.

Montaña was to shoot for the crown last night against the Cebuano dribblers starting at 7 p.m. following the 5 p.m. showdown between CM Farm and Sanman.

The champion in the tournament sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) 11 under Regino "Boy" Cua will receive P75,000 while the second and third placers will pocket P50,000 and P35, respectively.

The fourth placer will get P25,000 and fifth P10,000.

The teams that competed also got a bonus after Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte gave them P20,000 each just for participating in the event, one of the highlights of this year's Araw ng Dabaw celebration.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on March 21, 2011.

M. Lhuillier tops Sanman for 2nd win

DEFENDING champion M. Lhuillier-Kwarta Padala crushed Sanman Corporation, 102-78, for its second straight win in the Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Invitational commercial basketball tournament Thursday night at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Ian Saladaga poured in 21 points and Stephen Padilla, Mark Ababon and Nat Cruz added 15 each for the Cebuano dribblers, who also won the opening day assignment against the CM Farm cagers.

CM Farm bounced back from that defeat with a stunning 100-84 victory over Goldstar in the main game Thursday for a 1-1 card in the five-team tournament that is organized by Liga Dabaw and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) 11 headed by its regional director Regino "Boy" Cua.

Leading the attack for CM Farm was Ardy Larong, who fired a game-high 21 points. Egay Billionaires backed him up with 15 markers.

Ron Capati scored 15 for Goldstar, which suffered its second straight loss in the event which offers P75,000 to the champion.

M. Lhuillier is leading the field with a 2-0 slate, followed by Monta¤a Pawnshop (1-0), CM Farm (1-1), Sanman (0-1) and Goldstar.

Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte maded the ceremonial toss to open the tournament Wednesday. Also present in the opening rites were Liga Dabaw officials led by its chair Guillermo "Willie" P. Torres, vice chair Atty. Mans Carpio, the mayor's husband, secretary general William "Butch" Ramirez and treasurer Jon Ramirez.

The second placer in the event stands to receive P50,000 while the third and fourth finishers will get P35,000 and P25,000, respectively. The fifth placer will also get P10,000.

As an added bonus, Mayor Duterte is also giving P20,000 to each team for competing in the event to highlight the 74th Araw ng Dabaw celebration.

The tournament's Most Valuable Player will pocket P5,000 courtesy of Atty. Carpio.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on March 19, 2011.

M.Lhuillier nips Montana for title

The victorious Cebuanos with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (center) and Araw ng Dabaw sports committee chairman Christopher "Bong" Go (2nd from right, standing).(Photo courtesy of Renato B. Lumawag/Mindanao Times)


Mayor Rody Duterte watched intently from the sidelines. Around the gym, a sea of humanity filled every space of the gym, some craning their necks at every opening while the others bravely hung on posts.

Not an ordinary occurrence too was the electrifying performance of a young American missionary who was awesome in slamming his way to the dunk title.

Indeed, this was not an ordinary day.

Not an ordinary finish too, as hometeam Montana Pawnshop gallantly fought to the end but came out short against the visiting M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala 77-73 for the championship of the Mayor Rody-Inday Sara Invitational Basketball tournament, March 18.

But it was the not-so-ordinary performance of a slippery reserve that broke the hearts of the home fans.

Mark Ababon, who plays second fiddle to former pro Stephen Padilla in the M. Lhuillier rotation, stood ten feet tall in the finals as he almost singlehandedly quell a Montana uprising in the third, firing 12 of his 21 points in that stretch. And just when the Jewels closed the gap 73-74 in the dying seconds, the southpaw Ababon buried the dagger on the Davao franchise with a booming triple off a screen.

The Cebuano pointguard danced and body-slammed with teammates on center court as the shocked crowd gave him their loud approval. Ababon was later named tournament MVP.

The finals, which drew the biggest crowd at the Davao City Recreation Center (formerly Almendras gym) in years, was not without drama and intensity. Montana’s Ronald Lamocha and Lhuillier’s Nat Cruz were thrown out of the game for throwing punches, 5:06 in the fourth. It helped that the Mayor was in the sidelines and nobody from the bench stood up to join the fray.

Former PBA journeymen Bruce Dacia and Marlon Basco combined for 30 points while dominating the boards for M. Lhuillier. Padilla, who averaged close to 5 triples before the finals, was limited to just two and a total of 8 points as he was shadowed the entire match. The Jewels got 14 from Henry Fernandez, 13 from Michael Manigo and 12 from Solitaria.

Montana suffered a severe blow when Fernandez, the team’s leading scorer, was tagged with his fourth foul early in the third period and had to sit out in a long stretch just as the Jewels was catching up on the Cebuanos.

In the appetizer small dunk contest, Clarence Jeffery of the Sports Ambassadors regaled the crowd with his gravity-defying dunks. The slams were simply oh-so-extraordinary—he started off with a windmill jam, followed up with a Jordanesque 45-degree skim-the-rim to earn perfect scores in the first two rounds. In the finals, he bounced off facing-about from the sidelines then caught the ball in mid air before slamming it home. His final dunk could have brought the house down but he failed in two attempts to execute the between-the legs East Bay Funk dunk.

Jeffery, nicknamed “The Black Superman”, is a former standout of the Mississippi College aand a member of the Ventures for Victory squad that regularly plays exhibition matches in the country. He is set to join the Asian College of Technology Cyberknights in the Cebu collegiate hoops.

Montana rookie Miggy Solitaria, a standout of Ateneo de Davao University, finished second in the dunkfest, showing off with two vicious double-handed jammers.

But the dunkfest happened so fast everyone wished they could see it on a replay.

In the battle for third, Team Bida of Laguna won a physical match against a fighting Pacman Warriors squad of GenSan 86-74. Leomar Losentes erupted for 30 points for Team Bida while John Eric Coronado had 14 for Pacman who wound up 4th.(pr)

Montana faces M. Lhuillier in finals

Montana faces M. Lhuillier in finals


Montana Pawnshop of Davao bowed to Laguna’s Team Bida 84-82 but drew some luck in the quotients as it arranged a finals duel with Cebu’s M. Lhuillier for the Mayor Rody-Vice Mayor Inday Sara Invitational basketball crown.

It all came down to the stats with each basket counting as Montana, Bida and M. Lhuillier finished the eliminations with identical 2-1 win-loss slates. The Cebuanos topped the tie-breaker with a plus 12 quotient while Montana managed to finish no. 2 with a plus 6 quotient. Bida had a minus 4 and will be relegated to playing third against the Pacman Warriors of Gen. Santos City.
“I think these are the two teams most people wanted to meet. Montana may have the homecourt edge because it is the team from Davao but M. Lhuillier also has a lot of fans because of their exciting players,” said Bong Go, the Mayor’s executive assistant who was at courtside.

M. Lhuillier formalized its entry to the finals by drubbing Pacman Warriors 91-84 in Tuesday’s nightcap. Stephen Padilla once more displayed his vaunted firepower from beyond the arc as he came through with four triples for the night and a team-high 16 points. Frank Nailon had 14 while Marlon Basco and Ian Saladaga each had 12.

Team Bida made the standings a little complicated when it upset the Jewels earlier in the night. Ricky Ricafuente scattered four treys on the way to an 18-point output while Glenn Bolocon and Alfie Grijaldo played clean-up roles in the crucial fourth to preserve the reversal for the Drugbusters of Laguna. Francis Mercado had 13 for Laguna while Bolocon had 11.

The Jewels, who came back from a 50-38 deficit at the lemontime break to take the lead late in the third, were paced by Dondon Tadena with 18 while Ronald Lamocha had 17. For the second night, coach Nick Serafica used beanpole center Fred Canlas sparingly. It was Canlas who triggered a Montana uprising in the third period against M. Lhuillier in their first outing.

Against the same squad in the finals, everyone is speculating whether or not Canlas will be fielded by Serafica. The Cebuanos parade a strong frontline in the slam-dunking Basco and the rugged Nailon along with Ariel Mepana and Abe Santos. The Jewels will also have to find a way to neutralize the sweet-shooting Padilla who had three triples in their first encounter. Padilla averages close to five triples a game, mostly thrown from the pro distance.
For the third straight playdate, Davao’s basketball-thirsty fans filled the Almendras Gym to the rafters, queuing up at the gates early despite the strict security checks. (pr)

Montana hands Pacman 2nd loss,M. Lhuillier downs Bida-Laguna

Will the real Pacman please stand up?
Manny Pacquiao’s basketball franchise went down to another heartbreaking defeat and with two losses in as many games, you get to start thinking if the real Pacman should be suiting up for his team or can Freddie Roach can help its cause.
But this is basketball and this team may not have the speed and marksmanship of its owner in a close 84-80 overtime loss to the home squad Montana Pawnshop on Monday night in the Mayor Rody-Vice Mayor Inday Sara 73rd Araw ng Dabaw Invitational basketball tournament.

Late in the night, Cebu’s M. Lhuillier turned back Team Bida of Laguna 91-75 to get back on track after an opening day loss and for the second playdate, fans filled the newly-refurbished Almendras Gym to the rafters reminiscent of the good old days.
Montana’s sweet-shooting wingman Henry Fernandez fired 8 of the Jewels’ last 10 points in regulation but it was Don Tadena’s putback that sent the game into overtime. Pacman’s Louie Medalla showed a lot of spunk in the fourth period, firing 11 of his 18 points, including a booming triple that could have won it for Pacman.

The story in overtime was about experience and that was essayed well by Montana’s veterans.
Speedy quarterback Michael Manigo broke Pacman’s swarming defense, regaled the crowd with several passes whipped from the blind side to Fernandez and Tadena as the Jewels survived the Warriors from Gen. Santos City who showed a lot of heart despite falling short of ammunition.

The second win shoved Montana by the doorstep to the finals as it remained the only unbeaten team in this tournament organized under the supervision of the City Sports Development Division and the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP).
Laguna’s Team Bida, which stands for Batang Iwas Droga, led through the third canto but wilted under the heat of Lhuillier rifleman Stephen Padilla’s scorching triples. Padilla, a former PBA journeyman, fired 7 triples from way out of the amateur arc to lead the Cebuanos with 24 points. Crowd favorite Marlon Basco added 14 including a one-handed slam in the dying seconds while Mark Magsumbol, who celebrated his birthday a night before, and Ariel Mepana combined for 23.

The Drugbusters were paced by Robert Sanz with 15 while Leomar Losented added 13.

Both Lhuillier and Bida tote a 1-1 win-loss slate and will need a win to at least tie for a finals berth. Lhuillier has a +12 quotient after 2 games while Bida has -6. That means Bida has to beat Montana in the last day of eliminations and pray that Lhuillier lose to Pacman to earn a ticket to the finals. A win by Lhuillier coupled by a Bida loss will arrange a Montana-Lhuillier finals.
A 3-way tie is possible if Montana loses to Bida and Lhuillier wins over Pacman. In that case, the quotient system will be the decider. Montana thus far holds a +8 quotient.

With the three franchises mathematically still in contention, Pacman will be relegated to the role of playing spoiler. It may not help its cause but it will surely rock the standings. A call from the real Pacman straight from Vegas may yet prick the pride of the franchise to go for one last crack at victory.
Whatever, expect a fight from the Pacman Warriors. Afterall, they do not cower like James Clottey. (pr)

Laguna’s Bida stops Pacman, Montana edges M. Lhuillier

Manny Pacquiao’s Pacman Warriors failed to ride on the crest of their chief backer’s convincing win on Sunday and the home team Montana Pawnshop pulled off a big one before their ecstatic fans as Davao quenched its thirst for the big leagues with a newly-refurbished arena.

Contrasting fates as they turned out to be, still there was no missing the point. Basketball’s happy days are back.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte formally opened the doors to the new-look Davao City Recreation Center (nee Almendras Gym) in an emotional ceremony marked by the recognition of the city’s sports heroes and the return of big-time tournaments in this basketball-crazy city. After giving his short but heart-tugging speech, the Mayor who will end his term on June, took a bow and the crowd stood up in appreciation.
And unlike the 51,000 paying fans over at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the capacity crowd that filled the DCRC did not go home frustrated. There was just a lot of making up to do in terms of basketball action. Mayor Duterte watched from the sidelines along with Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta and a host of barangay captains, and Purefoods assistant coach Ronnie Magsanoc.

Action was intense on the hardcourt as the Pacman Warriors were stopped to their toes in a game that almost turned ugly with a near-boxing match. But still, that’s part of basketball. Anyways, Pacman’s squad took it flush on the chin from Laguna’s Team Bida 87-77 for its first loss while the Jewels of Davao walked off proudly with a 91-87 conquest of M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala.
That and more capped a grandiose opening of the Mayor Rody-Vice Mayor Inday Sara 73rd Araw ng Dabaw Invitational basketball tournament.

If defense was Manny Pacquiao’s main problem on the ring, Team Bida’s defense was also the headache for his Warriors. Former San Miguel Beerman Marlon Legaspi imposed his presence in the paint while Leomer Losentes and Glen Bolocon provided the spark for the Laguna franchise. Together, the troika conspired for 30 markers.

The Warriors were frustrated no end by the pesky defense of Bida even as Jhon Gonzaga caught fire with 16 and Louie Medalla had 13. At crucial stretches in the fourth period, they just could not turn their luck around.

In the nightcap, Montana Pawnshop pulled away from a tight first half with beanpole Fred Canlas scoring off nifty passes inside and then survived a big rally by M. Lhuillier in the final period. The 6-9 Canlas scored 10 points in the third quarter, six of them coming off and-one plays, as the Jewels erected a 61-45 lead, 4:06 left.

Ronald Lamocha, who took over at center when the red-hot Canlas was curiously benched in the fourth, and Donald Tadena preserved the win after the Cebuanos equalized in the fourth period with a scorching run keyed by Ian Saladaga and ex-pro Stephen Padilla. Montana was led by Lamocha with 17, veteran Michael Manigo had 16 and a slew of threading-the-needle feeds, while Canlas and Fernandez added 13 and 12, respectively.

The crowd erupted in frenzy just before the buzzer sounded to end the first half when Lhuillier’s Marlon Basco, another former PBA player, caught the ball on air after a missed jumper and then slammed it home with impunity.

By all indications, the happy days of basketball are here again. (pr)

Liga teams brace for tough battle

This doesn’t look like an excursion for the visiting teams of Liga Pilipinas. This loom like a war.
“Every team vowed to go all out to win this one, the teams committed to play all out,” said Bong Go, executive assistant to the Mayor and head of the sports committee of this year’s Araw ng Dabaw festivities.

All four squads—Cebu’s M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala, Gen. Santos City’s MP Pacman, Laguna’s Team Bida and hometeam Montana Pawnshop—bring to town their formidable line-ups and impressive records. These teams dispute the Mayor Rody-Inday Sara 73rd Araw ng Dabaw Invitational basketball tournament which gets going this Sunday at the Almendras Gym.

Although the teams’ final line-ups will not be known until Saturday when they check in on the eve of the tournament, it looks like the cast is all square at this point. Montana Pawnshop for sure will enjoy the hometown edge and a big crowd rooting for them, but even that is no assurance that the local franchise has the tactical edge.

Manny Pacquiao’s MP Pacman will be hoping to ride the crest of their chief backer’s glory most especially if the Filipino world pound-for-pound champ wins his fight also this Sunday against Joshua Clottey. That should rub intensity to the team whose pride will be put to a severe test.

The Cebuanos, as usual, are expected to flaunt their physical game which has been their trademark. Coach Yayoy Alcoseba’s charges could well enjoy the advantage in experience having been consistently taking part in various tournaments in and out of Cebu.

But focus will be on Team Bida. The Laguna-based franchise may yet fly in with an intriguing line-up formed out of a vast pool of basketball talent in Luzon.
Even then, no team enjoys a distinct advantage over the other and this should make the tournament more exciting. Gamedates will be from March 14 to 17 and will be free to the public courtesy of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Mayor Inday Sara Duterte.
The tournament is organized by the CMO-Sports Development Division and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP)-Region XI. (pr)

Liga Zamboanga Day Four

Games Wednesday (November 4) – Apayao

4:00 PM Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue vs. Smart Pampanga Buddies

6:00 PM EKB-Apayao Rapids vs. Trace-Laguna Stallions



NINOS ACHIEVE "GOLDEN 60", WIN 4TH STRAIGHT LEG TITLE


ZAMBOANGA CITY – Golden perfection! The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos became the first team to achieve a clean sweep of all their touring games after they halted defending National Champion Misamis Oriental Meteors, 91-81, for the championship of the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III Zamboanga City Leg Saturday night at the Summit Centre of the Universidad de Zamboanga.



The Ninos of Michel J. Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba won all their 16 games in the elimination phase to finish with 60 out of a possible 60 points and grab the undisputed top seeding entering the Super Leg later this month that will crown the next National Champion of the league made possible by Smart, Molten, Accel, Calcium-Cee, Gatorade, Air 21 and Burlington and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).



Limited to only an average of four points in the preliminary round, power forward Ariel Mepana exploded for 19 points off the bench to lead the Ninos. Mark Magsumbol added 16 points in his best performance as a Nino. Eder Saldua fired 28 points for the Meteors but designated shooter Patrick Cabahug was limited to only 13 points after averaging 23.3 points in their first three outings.


"More than the record its good to know that the team is so motivated and determined to bring back the crown to our fans in Cebu. Our four legs will mean nothing however if we don't bring our game to the National Finals. But we'll savor this feeling first. " said Coach Alcoseba



The Ninos will now await the identity of the second outright qualifier plus the three wild cards. The Meteors of Gov. Oscar S. Moreno and Coach Jun Noel earned five points for placing second and finished with 33 total points, enough to push them to Third Place past Forward Taguig that has 32 points. The Quezon Red Oilers currently occupy Second Place with 35 points as they await the results of the final leg this week in Apayao.



The Third to Fifth Placers will be paired with the Sixth to Eight Placers in three separate series with the higher-ranked team enjoying the twice-to-beat and home court advantage. The three series winners advance to the Super Leg with the two outright qualifiers.



Meanwhile, the EKB-Apayao Rapids of Gov. Elias K. Bulut went home with Third Place after rallying from 21 points down and repeating over the host Zamboanga Uno Latinos, 105-84. The Rapids thus registered back-to-back wins and gives them good momentum as they prepare to host the final leg starting this Wednesday when they welcome the Trace-Laguna Stallions, Smart-Pampanga Buddies and Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue.



The loss caused the Latinos to miss the playoffs for the third straight conference with only six points and one win in 16 games. The MP Warriors of GenSan thus claimed the eighth and final playoff seat with eight points. The Latinos remained winless at home, dropping all 13 games since last year.



Ismael Junio led the Rapids with 23 points followed by Leimar Navarro with 15. Jayson Rebollos paced the Latinos with 25 points while Charleston Bolias added 21 points and 11 rebounds.



Selected games from the Zamboanga City Leg will be aired next week on Solar Sports from Wednesday to Saturday. Also, Liga Pilipinas Classics are seen daily over Viva Prime Channel. For more details, visit www.ligapilipinas.net.



How They Scored:



For Third Place



APAYAO (105) – Junio 23, Navarro 15, Robles 13, Bonus 13, Cruz 11, Vitug 10, Dizon 6, Santos 6, Cabico 4, Bumanglad 2, Lustestica 2, Yambao 0, Evangelista 0, Ebuen 0, Villareal 0.



ZAMBOANGA (84) – Rebollos 25, Bolias 21, Concepcion 16, Graebel 7, Merced 6, Necesito 5, Lozano 4, Navarro 0, Yap 0.



Period Scores: 11-22, 45-54, 79-69, 105-84.



Championship



CEBU (91) – Mepana 19, Magsumbol 16, Padilla 14, Enriquez 10, Saladaga 10, Basco 9, Santos 6, Poligrates 3, Nailon 2, Dacia 2, Ababon 0.



MISAMIS ORIENTAL (81) – Saldua 28, Cabahug 13, Misa 13, Daja 9, Lamocha 6, Mamaclay 5, Barcellano 3, Butel 2, Sanchez 2, Clavel 0, Moreno 0, Guiyab 0.



Period Scores: 16-18, 42-34, 66-58, 91-81.

NINOS BEAT HOST OILERS, ARRANGE LEG FINALS SHOWDOWN

NINOS BEAT HOST OILERS, ARRANGE LEG FINALS SHOWDOWN

LUCENA CITY – The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos continued their winning ways with a 95-77 drubbing of the host Quezon Red Oilers at the close of the preliminary rounds of the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III Quezon Province Leg Friday evening at the Quezon Convention Center.

The Ninos of Michel J. Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba swept all their three games and earned a two-point bonus for doing so to hike their Tour Points total to a league-best 35, winning all 11 games thus far in the conference made possible by Smart, Accel, Molten, Calcium-Cee, Gatorade, Burlington and Air 21 and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Cebu is now on course for the rare "Liga Golden 60" or a sweep of all their four legs. "It is possible but we are not thinking of that yet. We just want to build our team's confidence and momentum for the Super Leg." said Coach Alcoseba.

The Red Oilers of Gov. Raffy Nantes and Coach Oliver Bunyi have yet to beat the Ninos since Liga Pilipinas was organized last year. The Red Oilers managed to tie the game twice at 2-2 and 4-4 and it was an all-Cebu show from thereon.

Power forward Ariel Mepana outscored the whole Quezon team in the first period as he tallied 11 points of his own against eight of Quezon. The Ninos ran away with the first period, 26-8.

It was the turn of guard Mark Ababon to wax hot in the second period, as he pumped in 10 points to tow the Ninos to a 39-12 advantage. A late run anchored on Ramsey Williams and Mark Magsumbol put the Red Oilers closer at halftime, 29-46.

By the third period, the outcome was settled as Bruce Dacia added 10 more points, followed by back-to-back triples by Stephen Padilla, another triple by Ababon and a basket by Ian Saladaga that gave the Ninos their biggest lead of the game, 75-42.

In the first game, the defending National Champion Misamis Oriental Meteors of Gov. Oscar Moreno and Coach Jun Noel kept the EKB-Apayao Rapids winless.

The Ninos and Red Oilers will dispute the leg championship while the Meteors and Rapids will tangle for Third Place.

Selected games from the Quezon Leg will be shown over Solar Sports next week from Wednesday to Saturday. Liga Pilipinas Classics are also shown every morning on Viva Prime Channel. The league’s official website is at www.ligapilipinas.net.

Cebu completes Liga sweet

TAGUIG – M.L. Kwarta Padala-Cebu etched its name in the history books by masterfully ruling the maiden season of the 2008 Smart-Liga Pilipinas Finals Thursday, routing Harbour Centre-Taguig, 107-91, in Game Three at the C.P. Tinga gym here.

The Ninos, who dominated in Cebu the first two games of the best-of-five championship series sponsored by Rexona, Accel, Burlington, Molten, Metathione, Nature Spring, Pagcor Sports and Laptop Phoneshop, completed the sweep with a deadly combination of outside firepower and scorching fast break plays.

"This is history, that's why the boys are really inspired," said Cebu coach Yayoy Alcoseba, whose team is expected to mobbed by their followers back home. "This is for the Cebu fans and the Senor Sto. Nino."

Alcoseba said the Ninos had a brief anxious moments in the third quarter when the Batang Global went on a zone defense.

"But we were able to make the necessary adjustments," Alcoseba said.

Ron Capati led Cebu with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Both teams shot well, but Cebu dominated the boards, 40-29, the transition game, 17 points to nine.

The Batang Global came home hoping to extend the series and force a winner-take-all Game 5. Instead they were manhandled in their own backyard and in front of their hometown crowd.

Taguig sliced a 15-point deficit to 78-67 halfway in the fourth quarter, but Danny Aying and Stephen Padilla buried consecutive triples of their own to stop the Batang Global cold on their tracks.

Padilla had two three-point shots in a pivotal 12-2 run as Cebu turned a 6-5 deficit into a 17-8 lead in the first quarter.

Coming off the bench, Jayford Rodriguez then hit two free throws for the Ninos late in the period for a 22-12 advantage and the Taguig Global were not to come closer than five points the rest of the first half.

A Marvin Ortiguerra reverse layup moved Taguig within 36-31 with 1:42 remaining, but the Ninos had four points to wrap up the quarter, giving them the momentum they needed for the breakaway third quarter.

Cebu shot better from the field in the first half, and the Ninos' collected 12 points to the Batang Globals' three from beyond the three-point range.

Aying accounted for Cebu's third 3-pointer against the zone-playing Batang Global.

Two free throws by Bruce Dacia after Taguig was penalized for excessive complaining during the break gave Cebu an 11-point lead even before second half action resumed, with the Ninos padding the advantage to 48-33 four minutes into the quarter.

Taguig cut the deficit to 49-41, but the Ninos were not to be denied their place in history as the regional tournament's maiden champion.

Scores:

CEBU 107 – Capati 17, Aying 16, Padilla 13, Rodriguez 13, Dacia 11, Saladaga 10, Cavan 8, Tangkay 6, Ababon 5, Mepana 4, Enriquez 3, Berame 1, Bucao 0.

TAGUIG 91 – Rodriguez 21, Ortiguerra 16, Marquez 14, Gatumbato 9, Bautista 9, Matias 8, Aldave 6, Bombeo 3, Latoreno 3, Reguerra 2, Vejandre 0.

Quarters: 25-17; 40-31; 69-57; 107-91

Pawnbrokers defeats Latinos, MLKP stops Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware

The Montana Pawnbrokers defeated the Zamboanga Latinos, 89-62 in the opening of the round-robin format of 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament, Thursday night, at the Davao City Recreation Center.

M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu City stopped the Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware, 71-69, in the other game.

Entrance is free at the gym.

The games will be played until Sunday afternoon starting at 5 p.m.

MLKP Cebu, Montana Davao, Duterte Agilas-Goldstar, Zamboanga square off

M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala arrived on Thursday morning to complete the four-team event of the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Davao City Recreation Center.

The Cebuanos will face two Davao teams, the Montana Pawnshop and Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware and the visiting Zamboanga Latinos.

Games will be played every 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. until Sunday, March 16.

The visiting Philippine Air Force arrived in Davao with an inferior line up that forced organizers to field the squad to the commercial B tournament against Goldstar and PhilHealth.

Agilas-Goldstar, Montaña cagers face visitors on Wednesday

The Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware and Montaña Pawnshop Davao will face the visiting teams at the start of the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 12, at the Davao City Recreation Center.

The opening ceremony starts at 5 p.m.

Zamboanga City and the Philippine Air Force based in Pasay City will face the hosts.

The Airmen will be bannered by Joselito Zantua, Reynold Capati, Jesus Botor, Rey Cepe, Norberto Bandong, Emilio Ocampo, Rolando Pascual, Paulino Fernandez, Michael Jimenez, Jermaine Guerrero, Joaquin Dindo Torres, Wilfredo Casulla, Ryan Tongio, Randy Lopez and Christopher Von Navo.

The Zamboangueños are Cris Concepcion, Darwin Cordero, Emrey Ramirez, Jomie Alvarez, Junie Navarro, David Sebastian, Tantan Parreño, Eter Chua, Jeffrey France, Ronald Saracho and team manager Jun Navarro.

Team owner Armand Quibod will field in Marvin Poloyapoy, Biboy Clavel, Charlie Braga, Ryan Abanes, Dado Ayson, Ronald Lamocha, Junel Jawod, Mike Maniego, Lendi Dawal, Jojo Endrinal, Arden Guiyab, Harold Sta.Cruz and Tata Fernandez.

M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu will play on the second day on March 13.

Games will be played every 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. until Sunday, March 16.

M.Lhuillier vs. TNT on Thursday

Game Thursday (February 21) – New Cebu Coliseum

7:00 PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City vs. Talk ‘N Text

CEBU CITY – Southern Philippine’s top ball club the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City Jewelers of the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) will test the Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals off the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in a goodwill game this Thursday (February 21) at the New Cebu Coliseum. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM.

The game is part of the celebrations of the 71^st year of the Cebu City Charter and is held in cooperation with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) through its president Manuel V. Pangilinan and Visayas area head Michel J. Lhuillier. Both gentlemen are also the owners of the competing teams.

The game marks the first time new Phone Pals coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes will call the shots in a public game since taking over from Frederick Pumaren. Coach Reyes will match wits against the multi-titled Coach Raul Alcoseba. Ironically, assisting Coach Alcoseba will be Coach Reyes’ brother Mike, adding twist to the interesting coaching battle.

M. Lhuillier is no pushover, as its roster is loaded with former PBA players in Bruce Dacia, Stephen Padilla, Danny Aying, Leo Bat-og, Dale Singson, Marlon Basco and Ronald Capati and rookie free agent Woodrow Enriquez. Completing the roster are rising stars Jayford Rodriguez, Enrico Llanto and Jerry Cavan.

Talk ‘N Text, coming off a disappointing PBA Philippine Cup performance were they got the early boot in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, will be lead by point guard Jimmy Alapag and shooters Renren Ritualo and Mark Cardona. Also on the roster of the Phone Pals is Egay Billones, who played for the MVBA’s Cebu Landmaster quintet in 2006.

The rest of the Phone Pals are Yousif Aljamal, Ali Peek, Miguel Noble, Felix Belano, Kalani Ferreria, Yancy de Ocampo, Don Allado, Harvey Carey and Anthony Washington.

The Jewelers hope to rise above their 1-1 win-loss slate against PBA teams. In August of 2006, the Jewelers shocked the Santa Lucia Realtors, 82-69, at the Cebu Coliseum. A month later, they lost to the San Miguel Beermen, 91-97, in a charity game organized by Dondon Hontiveros.(AES)

Montaña Davao bows to MLKP Cebu, 107-116

Games on January 30 – New Cebu Coliseum (Semifinal Round)
4:30PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City vs. Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon/Pharex Medics
6:00PM Fifth Avenue Telecoms vs. Montaña Pawnshop-Davao/Toyota-Balintawak

CEBU CITY –Both games needed an extra period in the thrilling second day of the M. Lhuillier Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Sinulog Cup Monday night at the New Cebu Coliseum.

In the first game, defending champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City leaned the heroics of Dale Singson to whip Montaña Pawnshop-Davao, 116-107. In the second game, it was the turn of Ferdinand Go to bail out Fifth Avenue Telecoms and beat Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon, 103-99.

Monday’s winners remained undefeated in two games and thus earned automatic seats in today’s crossover semifinals of the tournaments sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP).

Singson hit a booming triple with six seconds to play in regulation that tied the count at 100-100. In the extension, Singson sizzled with five markers and Marlon Basco shot steadily from the foul line and completed a three-point play off Harold Santa Cruz with 1:28 remaining for an unassailable 113-107 M. Lhuillier advantage.

M. Lhuillier of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul Alcoseba actually rallied from five points down with 37 seconds left in regulation. Former M. Lhuillier stalwart Michael Manigo canned two free throws off Bruce Dacia for a 100-95 tally. Singson quickly scored a basket to threaten, 97-100, and the Jewelers immediately sent Montaña center Arden Guiyab to the stripe at the 14-second mark. Guiyab bungled both shots to set the stage for Singson’s game-tying triple.

Basco and Dacia shared scoring honors for M. Lhuillier with 24 points each. Henry Fernandez powered Montaña of Armando Quibod and Coach Nic Serafica with 32 points while Ryan Abañes was the only other player in double figures with 15.

In the second game, Go nearly turned goat as he missed a free throw with 22 ticks left in regulation to keep Fifth Avenue ahead, 89-86. In the ensuing sequence, Morsie Akad converted a triple at the 10-second mark to send the game into overtime, 89-89.

In the overtime, the Hotel Fortuna quintet of Coach Elmer Cabahug opened with an 8-0 run. However, Fifth Avenue countered with a 9-0 run of their own capped by Go redeeming himself with a triple that pushed his side on top for, 100-97, and 28 seconds left.

Hotel Fortuna did not give up, with Von Harry Lanete threatening with two charities off Jeff Sanders, 99-100. Chris Diputado then fouled Mark Yee at the nine-second mark and the gamble paid off as Yee split his gift shots, 101-99. Collaring the defensive rebound and a golden chance to tie or go ahead, Hotel Fortuna issued a wild pass that sailed out of bounds. Yee was again fouled and this time made both free throws for the final count.

Yee and Sanders topped Fifth Avenue of Mike Dullas and playing coach Junel Mendiola with 18 points each. Akad paced Hotel Fortuna with 20 markers followed by Rino Berame with 19 points and 11 rebounds. The game also marked the commercial league debut of 6’11” Gregory Slaughter, who was part of the starting five and finished with four points.

How They Scored:

M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (116) – Basco 24, Dacia 24, Enriquez 14, Singson 14, Capati 13, Padilla 12, Cavan 8, Bat-og 3, Llanto 2, Aying 2.

MONTAÑA-DAVAO (107) – Fernandez 32, Abañes 15, Clavel 9, Poloyapoy 8, Ayson 8, Lamocha 8, Santa Cruz 7, Guiyab 6, Quibod 5, Manigo 4, Braga 3, Jawod 2, Dawal 0.

Period Scores: 26-25, 52-43, 71-68, 100-100 (reg.), 116-107 (OT).
* * *
FIFTH AVENUE (103) – Yee 18, Sanders 18, Go 13, Malabanan 13, Vergara 12, Salangsang 10, Lim 5, Labagala 4, David 3, Zagala 2, Moody 2, Litonjua 2, Buenaventura 1.

HOTEL FORTUNA-BOLJOON (99) – Akad 20, Berame 19, Sevilla 15, Dennison 14, Diputado 14, Lanete 4, Slaughter 4, Sendrijas 4, Lao 3, Luga 2, Paglinawan 0, Cincoflores 0, Getubig 0.

Period Scores: 22-19, 44-44, 67-67, 89-89 (reg.), 103-99 (OT).(Anthony Servinio)

MLKP Cebu embarks on its quest for a rare three-peat

DEFENDING CHAMPION M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City embarks on its quest for a rare three-peat this weekend with the opening of the 2008 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Sinulog Cup at the New Cebu Coliseum starting this Sunday (January 27).

Scoring the triple-crown won’t be easy for the wards of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul Alcoseba, as three tough teams from Metro Manila have confirmed their participation and are on a mission to knock the crown off the Jewelers’ heads in the weeklong tournament sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP).

Leading the invaders are the Toyota-Balintawak Road Kings of Coach Ariel Vanguardia, the Third Placer in the last Philippine Basketball League (PBL) conference.

The Road Kings will test drive their tuned up roster featuring MVBA veteran Ruel Balgos of the Toyota-Iloilo Turbos and fellow Vis-Min players Patrick Cabahug of Cebu and Marvin Hayes of Iloilo. The rest of the crew consists of Erwin Santa Maria, Floyd Dedicatoria, JR Sena, Paul Guerrero, Jonathan Aldave, Chito Jaime, Erick Rodriguez, Bryan Faundo, Richard Cole, Marvin Ortiguerra, Ramon Retaga, Eugene Tan and Cholo Villanueva. Team manager is Ramon Oben.

Coach Vanguardia added that their new recruit Rino Berame, formerly of the MVBA’s Arthro Kontra Arthritis, will not yet suit up for the Road Kings. The 6’7” Berame will remain with the University of the Visayas varsity until the end of the current school year and will play for the Lancers in the Sinulog Cup. The other participating team is returning MVBA member Montaña Pawnshop-Davao of businessman Armando Quibod.

Also from the PBL are the Pharex Medics under Coach Carlo Tan. The Medics are coming off a respectable debut conference where they reached the quarterfinals.

Pharex is expected to parade former Cebu Landmaster stalwart Richard Ian Saladaga plus other Vis-Min talents Ronnie Bughao of Cebu, JR Gerilla of Leyte, Francis Allera of South Cotabato and Jam Alfad of Sulu. The rest of the Medics are Fritz Bauzon, Gilbert Bulawan, Sean Co, Jeff de Guzman, Gester Ebuen, Elmer Espiritu, Ronnie Matias, Emerson Oreta, Darryl Pepito and Don Villamin. Team manager is Jean Alabanza, a former MBA pro with the Cagayan de Oro Amigos.

Adding fuel to the PBL teams’ is their desire to avenge the defeats of their fellow PBL teams in the many invitational tilts organized by the MVBA since its birth in 2006. The likes of TeleTech, Henkel-Sista, Dazz and Burger King have all ventured into Cebu only to come home empty-handed.

The third Metro Manila team, Fifth Avenue Telecoms, is the champion of the Metro Basketball League (MBL). The team is owned by Mike Dullas with former national player and PBA veteran Junel Mendiola as playing coach.

This early, Fifth Avenue is emerging as the dark horse of the tournament. A look at their roster reveals a lot of name players led by Cebuanos Braulio Lim and Roberts Labagala, Ferdinand Go of Butuan City and Ronnie Zagala of Sultan Kudarat. Also in the roster are former PBA players Jeff Sanders, Marlon Legaspi, Allan Salangsang, Ruel Buenaventura, Gilbert Malabanan and Billy Moody. Completing the team are Angelus Raymundo, Al Vergara, Rommel David and Richard Litonjua.

The presence of a very stellar cast is enough to satisfy the appetite of basketball-hungry Cebuano fans and jumpstart what is seen to be another banner year for basketball in Southern Philippines with the MVBA at the forefront.(Anthony Servinio)

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)

MisOr ekes out 97-94 win over MLKP, levels best-of-three at 1-1

Games December 17 - New Cebu Coliseum
4:00PM Christmas Cup Opening Ceremonies
4:30PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City vs. Tagaytay City
6:00PM Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue vs. Pagadian City

CEBU CITY -- Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr eked out a 97-94 win over defending champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City Friday night at the New Cebu Coliseum to level the best-of-three 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference Finals at 1-1.

The winner-take-all third match was being played at press time last night. M. Lhuillier won Game One, 76-75, last December 12 at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City. The multi-titled Jewelers are gunning for their third MVBA crown in four conferences while MisOr is looking for a back-to-back after ruling this year’s First Conference of the league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) and bankrolled by ML Kwarta Padala, Nature’s Spring, Accel, Reva Sandals, Gameface.Ph and Nike Basketball.

Center Nat Cruz unloaded 12 points in the final quarter including eight out of 10 free throw attempts in the final 35 seconds to hold off the scorching M. Lhuillier comeback. With MisOr shakily on top, 94-91, Woodrow Enriquez opted to drive to the hoop and threaten for the last time with five seconds to play, 93-94. Cruz was quickly fouled but could only make one free throw for a 95-93 MisOr edge.

In the ensuing sequence, Cruz nearly turned goat as he fouled Jerry Cavan. After making his first attempt, Cavan would miss the potential equalizer and Cruz grabbed the defensive rebound plus a foul from Game One hero Ronald Capati. Cruz calmly sank both free throws for the final tally. With no timeouts left for Coach Raul Alcoseba, M. Lhuillier failed to put up a decent shot in the final two seconds of play.

MisOr controlled the entire second half after taking the lead at halftime on back-to-back baskets by Cruz and Frank Nailon, 42-40. Dennis Concha powered MisOr’s initial third period run capped by a three-point play by Ramil Tagupa that erected their biggest lead of the game, 62-50, at the 5:28 mark of the third.

Winning coach Bong Abad credited his players’ good shooting percentage and overall defensive effort that made up for their 20 turnovers versus the nine turnovers of M. Lhuillier. MisOr team owner Gov. Oscar Moreno hardly sat and paced the Coliseum stage for majority of the tense game that saw his wards shoot 34 out of 54 or 63% of their field goal attempts. On the other hand, M. Lhuillier made 30 of 65 attempts for 46%.

Cruz finished with 24 points. Mark Moreño came off the bench in the second period to pump in 11 of his 18 points. Anton Villoria added 15 and Concha 13. Enriquez led M. Lhuillier with 30 points followed by Stephen Padilla with 17 points off five triples. Jett Latonio chipped in 13 and Marlon Basco 11.

Meanwhile, the MVBA Christmas Cup will unveil on December 17 at the Coliseum with M. Lhuillier, MisOr, Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue, Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu and guest teams Pagadian City and Tagaytay City. The tournament will run until December 20 and offers big cash prizes to the winners.

How They Scored:

HOLCIM PRYCE-MISOR (97) - Cruz 24, Moreño 18, Villoria 15, Concha 13, Nailon 10, Tagupa 6, Sanchez 5, Abadia 4, Sevilla 2, Apepe 0, Jabagat 0.

M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (94) - Enriquez 30, Padilla 17, Latonio 13, Basco 11, Capati 9, Gatumbato 4, Cavan 4, Dacia 4, Aying 2, Caputolan 0, Rodriguez 0, Bat-og 0.

Period Scores: 17-19, 42-40, 73-66, 97-94.(Series tied, 1-1)
(Anthony E. Servinio)