MisOr eliminates Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue, 80-74

TEAM STANDINGS

Misamis Oriental Meteors 3-0

M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos 2-1

Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue 1-2

MP Warriors of GenSan 0-3

     CAGAYAN DE Oro City – The Misamis Oriental Meteors took the easy path to the final game of the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V Misamis Oriental Leg by eliminating Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue, 80-74, Friday evening at the Xavier University Gymnasium.

     Needing a win to avoid the complications of a three-way tie, the Meteors banked on an 8-0 run powered by Neil Raneses that shattered a 70-70 deadlock and erect a 78-70 advantage with 1:25 to play.  The Meteors thus swept all their three preliminary games while denying Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Rick King and Coach Jun Tan a shot at their fourth weekly championship of the conference supported by San Miguel, Molten, Summit Natural Drinking Water and Accel.

     Mandaue actually controlled the game for the first three periods and seemed on course for their goal of winning by nine or more markers in order to make the finals via a superior FIBA quotient.  The Meteors will meet the defending National Champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos in Saturday’s finals.  M. Lhuillier has won the last three Misamis Oriental Legs while the Meteors have yet to win their own at home.

     Trailing by a point after three periods, 55-56, JR Gerilla conspired with Ardy Larong and Rudy Lingganay at the start of the fourth period for a 70-64 Meteors lead at the 4:29 mark.  Mandaue’s Marlon Basco tied the game for the last time with back-to-back triples, 70-70.

     Gerilla led the Meteors with 15 points and six rebounds followed by Egay Billones with 13 points, four assists and three steals.  Axel Doruelo paced Mandaue with 17 points while Basco and Mark Magsumbol added 13 markers each.

     In the first game, M. Lhuillier overwhelmed the MP Warriors of GenSan to secure the first finals slot, 97-66, in a meeting of two teams coming off overtime losses the other day.

     Two players benched by Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba in their previous game set the tone early as Stephen Padilla knocked down four triples and Nat Cruz added six more points to give M. Lhuillier of Michel J. Lhuillier a commanding 31-14 lead after one period.  The Warriors of Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Coach Arvin Bonleon never recovered.

     Mark Jeffries opened the final canto with a dunk to ignite a 10-2 run starring Mark Abadia that gave M. Lhuillier its biggest lead, 88-46.  The MP Warriors countered with an 18-2 blast of their own to reduce the deficit, 64-90, but M. Lhuillier was unrelenting with Jeffries capping the blowout with another dunk for the final tally.

     Ian Saladaga presided over the rout with 13 points followed by Padilla and Ogie Menor with 12 each as a total of six M. Lhuillier players had 11 points or more.  Louie Medalla topped the MP Warriors with 14 followed by Jenkins Bucao and Jovanie Alih with 11, mostly during their fourth period surge.

How They Scored:

First Game

     M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (97) – Saladaga 13, Padilla 12, Menor 12, Abadia 11, Cruz 11, Jeffries 11, Belano 9, Raymundo 8, Ababon 4, Santos 4, Hayes 2, Baguion 0, Maliksi 0, Mepana 0.

     GENERAL SANTOS (66) – Medalla 14, Parreno 11, Bucao 11, Alih 10, Musni 8, Alfad 8, Locsin 2, Timon 2, Cordero 0, Concepcion 0, Angeles 0, Mendoza 0.

     Period Scores: 31-14, 56-29, 78-44, 97-66.

Second Game

     MISAMIS ORIENTAL (80) – Gerilla 15, Billones 13, Daa 10, Larong 10, Raneses 8, Lingganay 7, Bono 7, Misa 4, Moreno 4, Gudez 2, Capati 0, Lamocha 0.

     MANDAUE (74) – Doruelo 17, Marlon Basco 13, Magsumbol 13, Capus 12, Guiyab 6, Sta. Cruz 4, Losentes 4, Dedicatoria 3, Mondragon 2, Villaver 0.

     Period Scores: 21-16, 36-37, 55-56, 80-74.(pr)

MLKP retains MVBA Visayas Division title, plays MisOr on Dec.12 in Cagayan de Oro

M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City clinched its third Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Visayas Division title by beating Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue last December 7 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)


Game December 12 - Xavier University Gym
6:00PM Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr vs. M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City(MVBA Finals, Game One)

MANDAUE CITY - M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City retained the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Visayas Division championship by outplaying archrival Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue, 73-65, Friday at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex. The Jewelers thus swept the best-of three series, 2-0. They won Game One in overtime, 89-86, last Wednesday at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The win marks M. Lhuillier’s third Visayas Division crown in four conferences thus far of the league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and bankrolled by ML Kwarta Padala, Nature’s Spring, Accel, Reva Sandals, Gameface.Ph and Nike Basketball. The partnership of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul Alcoseba now shoots for their third MVBA title.

The best-of-three MVBA Finals between M. Lhuillier and Mindanao Division champion Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr of Gov. Oscar Moreno and Coach Bong Abad will commence on December 12 at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City. Game Two will be at the Cebu Coliseum on December 14. If needed, Game Three will be played immediately on December 15, still at the Cebu Coliseum.

With team owner Joe Soberano and Mayor Jonas Cortes in attendance, Landmaster under Coach Jun Tan started hot with Bong Marata scoring 14 of the team’s first 16 points for a 16-12 lead. Suddenly, Marata pulled a leg muscle and never returned to the game. M. Lhuillier capitalized by knotting the count after one quarter, 22-22. The M. Lhuillier defense went to work and limited Landmaster to only nine points in the second period. Still, Landmaster held a shaky 31-30 edge until Bruce Dacia scored six of the half’s final eight points to push the Jewelers on top for good, 38-31.

Dacia then joined Ronald Capati, Stephen Padilla and Woodrow Enriquez in giving M. Lhuillier its biggest lead of the contest, 57-39, late in the third canto. A triple by Mike Manigo, his only points in the game, put Landmaster closer entering the final period, 42-57.

Just like in Game One, M. Lhuillier allowed Landmaster to claw back with Harold Santa Cruz cutting the deficit to as low as six points with 11 seconds to play, 63-69. In the ensuing play, Jerry Cavan sank two free throws to ice the game, 71-63. Mark Yee and Enriquez exchanged baskets for the final tally.

Dacia led M. Lhuillier’s charge with 18 points and in the process cop the Most Valuable Player award for the Visayas Division. Dacia averaged a team-best 13.8 points in the tournament. Capati followed with 17 points. Yee topped Landmaster with 24 markers.

How They Scored:

M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (73) - Dacia 18, Capati 17, Enriquez 8, Gatumbato 7, Padilla 6, Caputolan 5, Basco 3, Cavan 3, Aying 2, Latonio 2, Bat-og 2.

CEBU LANDMASTER-MANDAUE (65) - Yee 24, Marata 14, Saladaga 10, Santa Cruz 6, Nicdao 4, Manigo 3, Ocañada 2, Gloria 2, Montalbo 0, Abellanosa 0, Mangubat 0. Period Scores: 22-22, 38-31, 57-42, 73-65.(M. Lhuillier wins series, 2-0)
(Anthony E. Servinio)

MisOr squares off with Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware in Game 2 at Xavier U in Cagayan

MisOr squres off with Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware in Game 2 at Xavier U in Cagayan

Game on November 22 – Xavier University Gym
6:00PM Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr vs. Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware

CAGAYAN DE ORO – Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr shoots for a spot in the Mindanao Division Finals of the 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference on Thursday night, November 22, when they host the Goldstar Hardware Duterte Agilas-Davao at the Xavier University Gym starting at 6:00PM.

MisOr of MVBA chairman Gov. Oscar Moreno and Coach Bong Abad took Game One of the best-of-three series, 92-84, at the Almendras Gym in Davao City last November 19. A tall order faces the Agilas of Coach Rhoel Josol, as they have yet to defeat MisOr this conference, losing their two classification round meetings, 89-100 and 82-87.

Bull strong Boboy Berami has been the best performer for the Agilas this conference churning out 15.6 points per game and on his broad shoulders rests the fate of the franchise. The rest of the team have to help out Berami, especially gunners Jonjon Gonzaga (11.3 ppg) and Fred Sampilo (9.8 ppg) and playmaker Bob Cozy Ilanga (9.8 ppg).

However, the X-factor for the Agilas could be the good play of Wynsjohn Te and center James Razon. The duo submitted MVBA career-highs in points in Game One, giving the team more options in Game Two and extend the series to a Game Three scheduled for on Friday, November 23 also at the Xavier Gym.

Reigning MVBA Player of the Week Anton Villoria will again lead MisOr’s defense of its home turf. In MisOr’s last two games against the Agilas, Villoria proved to be the biggest thorn on the wings of the Agilas, knocking in the killer shots en route to averaging 15.0 points in those two games.

Also seen to play big roles and take MisOr to its third straight Mindanao Division finals appearance are centers Nathaniel Cruz (12.8 ppg) and Frank Nailon (8.5 ppg), shooter Lowell Briones (9.2 ppg) and point guard Mark Moreño (7.7 ppg).

Already earning outright berths in the Division Finals by virtue of topping their respective divisions are M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul Alcoseba and the MP Warriors-GenSan of Manny Pacquiao and Coach Ramon Pido.

They will face the winner of their division’s semifinal series in a best-of-three showdown. The two division champions will then slug it out in the best-of-three MVBA Finals tentatively calendared for the first week of December.(Anthony E. Servinio)