MLKP vs. MisOr/Mandaue in finals, Laguna vs. Pacman Warriors for 3rd

TEAM STANDINGS

M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos 3-0

Misamis Oriental Meteors 2-1

Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue 2-1

Laguna Golden Lions 1-2

MP Warriors of GenSan 0-4

Games on July 17 – Xavier University Gymnasium

4:00 PM Laguna Golden Lions vs. Pacman Warriors GenSan (for Third Place)

6:00 PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos vs. MisOr/Mandaue (Championship)

     CAGAYAN DE Oro City – Top seed Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue and host Misamis Oriental Meteors toppled separate opponents Friday in the SMC Liga Pilipinas Super Leg at the Xavier University Gymnasium to set the stage for a knockout game for the second spot in Sunday’s National Finals game.  Both teams hold 2-1 win-loss cards and will play each other on the final day of the preliminaries.

     With team owner Gov. Oscar S. Moreno in attendance, the Meteors of Coach Jun Noel controlled majority of the contest and led by as much as 19 points midway in the third period, 62-43.  That did not faze the Golden Lions of Gov. ER Ejercito and Coach Philip Cezar as they roared back in the final period.

     Silent in the first three periods, Bryan Faundo and Glenn Bolocon finally found their shooting touch as they powered the Golden Lions’ rally.  Bolocon scored to threaten at the 38-second mark, 80-86, but solid free throw shooting by Neil Raneses down the stretch preserved the win.

     The victory came at a cost though as Meteors scoring leader Egay Billones hurt his hand and left the game early in the second period.  Ardy Larong sat out the game after injuring his hamstring in the previous game.

     Lyndon Gudez led the Meteors with 19 points and five steals while Raneses added 14 points.  Faundo paced the Golden Lions with 17 markers and seven rebounds followed by Bolocon and Robert Sanz with13 apiece.

     In the second game, Mandaue’s masterful 77-58 win over the MP Warriors of GenSan was marred by a fracas with 59 seconds to play and the outcome long decided.  Jasper Callo punched Harlow Villanil on the nape resulting in both players’ ejection and technical fouls on both teams for entering the court.

     That incident aside, Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Rick King and Coach Jun Tan led from the opening buzzer.  They never stopped from there as they increased their lead to as much as 28 points via a series of triples from Leo Losentes to begin the fourth period, 71-43.

     Ariel Capus buried three triples en route to topping Mandaue with 18 points.  Losentes also had three triples as part of his 13 points.  Jonathan Parreno was the high man for the Warriors with 14 followed by Louie Medalla with nine points.  By dropping all their four games, the Warriors of Rep. Manny D. Pacquiao and Coach Arvin Bonleon will automatically take Fifth Place.

     The defending National Champions M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos, who are undefeated in three games, drew a bye on Day Four and is already assured of a spot in the National Championship game regardless of the outcome of the final preliminary games.

     The games of the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V are shown over Basketball TV from Monday to Saturday at 5:30 PM with the support of San Miguel, Molten, Summit Natural Drinking Water and Accel.

How They Scored:

First Game

     MISAMIS ORIENTAL (92) – Gudez 19, Raneses 14, Bono 13, Billones 10, Misa 8, Lingganay 8, Daa 6, Lamocha 6, Capati 4, Lucernas 4, Gerilla 0, Moreno 0, Navarro 0.

     LAGUNA (85) – Faundo 17, Sanz 13, Bolocon 13, Franco 10, Saguindel 7, Legaspi 6, Glorioso 5, Bautista 4, Feihl 4, Asoro 4, Flores 2.

     Period Scores: 22-19, 45-37, 70-54, 92-85.

Second Game

     MANDAUE (77) – Capus 18, Losentes 13, Manuel 12, Mondragon 9, Magsumbol 6, Marlon Basco 5, Sta. Cruz 5, Doruelo 3, Guiyab 2, Villaver 2, Dedicatoria 2. Villanil 0.

     GENERAL SANTOS (56) – Parreno 14, Medalla 9, Grijaldo 8, Nicdao 7, Musni 4, Cordero 4, Sagad 2, Callo 2, Locsin 2, Alih 2, Mendoza 2, Alfad 2, Concepcion 0, Angeles 0.

     Period Scores: 20-11, 45-51, 57-38, 77-56.(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)