Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Game 7: Road to the Finals
As the games wind down to the Magic 8 enroute to the Final Four, intensity has pervaded the matches. The biggest twist coming to the second round of the play-offs is the elimination of last year's runner-up, TFC Mainline and the surprising entry of Team Force to the Magic 8. Will there be new twists and turns in Game Seven that will surprise us?
Here are the highlights for Game Seven:
- Despite their loss to Red Bulls in the last game, Casa Rap gets a new lease on life on their hopes of a first finals appearance as they face the mighty GK Warriors, who have yet to lose a game since 2008. Will the Antonio-led Bomb Shells ignite the league with a monumental upset?
- Maricas, who suffered its first loss to Team Force, gets a second chance at their hopes to enter the Final Four by facing powerhouse Dynamic Excel-Phi. While the odds may be against Maricas, a win will solidify their claim as the Pilipino-division leaders.
- Former Palaro champions, Red Bulls (2007) and WSA (2006) square it off in the "Battle of Champions". Both teams have lingered in the middle ranks this season and their steady plays have brought them at the brink of a Finals showdown. When the smoke clears, who will be in the Final Four?
- Team Force, who was left for dead by the blog voters, springs to life as they face rainbow artists, Baltimore Dragons. The Dragons who lost its first two games got their bearings going by winning 4-straight. Will Team Force douse the Dragons' fire and enter the Final Four?
Who will be in the Final Four? Vote now on our blog surveys!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
PAAD PALARO YOUTH BASKETBALL
PAAD Palaro 2009 is proud to launch its first PALARO Youth Basketball this coming Saturday, August 1, 2009. Youth games start at 11:30 AM alongside some festivities to warm-up the playoff games. Please join us in the fun as we support our Fil-American youth!!
2009 PAAD Palaro Volleyball Champions!
The PAAD Palaro Community congratulates our very first Volleyball Champions, Delaware Dabarkads. The Debarkads beat Elkton Elite in two sets to claim this year's crown.
Monday, July 27, 2009
G6: Team Force upsets Maricas, 48 - 33
Report by Jun Rana
Marcus Chiu and Team Force reserved its best game in the first round of the playoffs and Maricas had one of its off day as Force pulled a 48-33 stunner over Maricas. The win put Team Force in the second round of the playoffs. Maricas suffered its first loss in the tournament which relegated them to the losers bracket in the next round of the playoffs Maricas having the second best record in the elimination round qualified as the top loser in the next round of the 8 team playoff.
Both teams combined for one of the lowest scoring first half In Palaro history, with Force leading Maricas 14-11 at halftime. However, Marcus Chiu cut loose in the second half scoring 24 of his 28 game high point to secure the win for Force. Chiu did it with a combination of penetrating lay ups and jump shots. With 11 minutes remaining, Chiu put the dagger in the heart of Maricas with a triple to lead an 18-8 salvo to put Force ahead 32-19.
BJ Advento leads Maricas with 15 points but clearly missed the scoring supports of reliable Kenneth Savella and El Persons, who scored only 2 points each.
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Box Scores:
Force: Chui, 28; Wong, 7; Talag, 4; Bacal, 3; Maltman, 3; Bacal Djern, 2; Alvarez, 1
Maricas: Advento, 15; Setters. 8; Alday, 4; Savella, 2; Persons, 2; Vergara, 2
G6: WSA rallies, eliminates TFC, 61 - 57
Report by Jun Rana
Wala Sa Ayos (WSA) put their act together in the second half of the game to score a come from behind 61-57 victory that sent them to the second round of the playoffs and eliminated archrival TFC.
TFC, behind balanced scoring from its players, took advantage of the cold shooting of WSA in the first half to post a 12 point halftime lead 33-21. Paul Nicdao led the TFC attack during the first half with 7 points as TFC displayed its impressive running game. TFC had its biggest lead at 24-11 in the first half.
In the second half however, WSA slowly chipped on the lead of TFC as Lester Dabu discovered his shooting touch and TFC started missing attempts. Dabu scored 14 of his game high 16 points in the second half.
WSA finally caught up with WSA in the last two minutes at 54 all. With time down to 16 seconds, WSA had built a 59- 55 lead behind the heads play of Dabu and Michael Alegarbes, and had ball possession. At this stanza, TFC quickly fouled Alegarbes and sent him to the free throw line. Alegarbes calmly sank the two free throws that gave WSA a 61-55 cushion. In the ensuing play, TFC’s Arvie Dazon scored on a lay up as time expired to make the final score 61-57.
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Box Scores:
WSA: Dabu, 16; Alegarbes, 14; Raymundo, 13; Fernandez, 10; Vergaa, 6; Oniate, 2
TFC: Dazon, 14; Nicdao P., 12; David, 8; Sanchez, 7; Santos A, 6, Vierneza, 5; mendoza, 2; esguerra, 2; Fogata, 1
G6: Red Bulls raps Casa Rap, 48-44
Report by Jun Rana
In what proved to be thrilling game of the day, Red Bulls edges Casarap 48-44, to avenge their loss in the first round to Casarap and advance to the next round of the playoffs. Jake Cortes proved to be hero in Red Bulls victory by top scoring with 23 points and hitting crucial free throws in the dying minutes of the game.
Casarap however grabbed the last slot in the eight team playoffs with the second best record among the losers.
Cortez waxed hot in the first half with 14 points including 2 three pointers as Red Bulls built a 30-20 lead at the half. Justin Tanjuakio, Karl Malicdem and Jet Deleste provided much needed bench support in that 10-point Bull's run.
Given up for dead, Casarap rallied in the second half behind the heads up play of Jason Del Rosario, Paul Valencia and Dexter Quezon to move to within two, 43-41 with a minute and a half remaining. In the ensuing play however, Del Rosario committed a foul on a driving Cortez. Cortez converted the two free throws to make it 45-41 with a minute remaining.
Another quick basket by Casarap made it 45-43 time down to 45 seconds. Red Bull did not score in the next possession. Dexter Quezon of Casarap then raced to the basket for a layup and was fouled time down to 12 seconds. The foul sent him to the free throw line with a chance to tie and send the game to overtime. Quezon however missed one of the free throws to narrow the gap to 45-44 for Read Bull. In the next possession, Casarap intentionally fouled Cortez of Red Bull and sent him to the free throw line. Cortez converted both free throws to widen the lead to 47-44, 2 seconds remaining.
With no time outs remaining, Casarap team captain Steve Antonio called for a time out and was hit for a technical foul. Jake Cortez converted another free throw to make the final score 48-44.
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Box Scores:
Red Bulls: Cortez, 23; Balan, 4; Deleste, 4; Tanjuakio J, 4; Pangilinan, 4; Malicdem, 4; Tizon, 3; Branzulea, 2
Casa Rap: Del Rosario, 13; Valencia, 10; Quezon, 9; Agui, 6; Antonio, 3; Pangan, 2; Fernandez, 1
G6: GK Warriors too much for Elkton Blazers, 68 - 41
Report by Jun Rana
Tournament favorite GK Warriors vaunted firepower and balanced scoring proved too much for the Elkton Blazers and the demolition-duo of brothers Mario and Santini Lancioni. The Warriors whipped the hapless Blazers 68-41 to enter the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the Blazers. Four GK Warriors had double digits and combined for 49 points to top the efforts of Lancioni brothers who combined for 34 points.
Early in the first half, Leo Yanogacio, Ryan De Gracia and Ian Clemente lead a three man assault to put GK in a commanding 23-9 lead. It was a lead which they never relinquished. Yogi Veranga had 2 triples in the second half which helped the Warriors withstood the challenge of the Blazers.
As the game went beyond the reach of the Blazers, GK second unit players Dads Cardenio and Herb Monsalud contributed 5 and 4 points, respectively during the last five minutes of the game. Cardenio scored a triple to the delight of the GK fans.
G6: Dynamic Excel trounces Delaware Titans, 64 - 46
Report by Jun Rana
With excellent defense, Excel put a clamp on the DelawareTitans top scorer Jesse Fabian and the rests of the Titans, enroute to a 64-46 victory that sent Excel to the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the Titans. Excel held Fabian to only 9 points in the entire game to the dismay of the Titans fans.
After an 11 all tie in the early going, Excel pulled away in the first half behind a 15 -5 bomb by Will Imperial, Mike Sanchez and Justin Mercado and led 26 -16 at the half. The 10 points separation proved to be the turning point of the game as Excel gained more confidence and widened the lead to 42-21, time down to 11 minutes of the game. Mark Pr’out of Excel led the scoring rampage in the second half with 9 points.
The never say die Titans tried all they can only to be frustrated by the good defense and good shooting by Excel. No players for the Titans scored doubled figures to underscore Excel’s defense. Willie Fontano contributed 8 points for the Titans including two triples.
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Box Scores:
G6: Baltimore Dragons routs Exit Realty, 96 - 54
Report by: June RanaHot shooting Isaac Brooks and Julio Concepcion combined for 59 points as Baltimore Dragons slay Exit Realty 96-54 to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The Dragons dominated Exit in the second half after a tight first half, with the Dragons leading by only 9 at 42-33.
In the second half, the Dragons put on a 3 point shooting exhibition converting 7 triples in the second half for 21 points, four of them coming from the Isaac Brooks who scored a game high of 32 points. It was also the scoring tandem of Brooks and Julio Concepcion that put the Dragons to a commanding 65-40 lead with 9 minutes remaining. Another Concepcion, Frank contributed 11 points in the game.
Scott MacInnes topscored for Exit Realty with 23 points, followed by Andrian Bondao with 15 points.
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Box Scores:
Dragons: Brooks, 32; Conception, 27; Conception, F., 11; Barsotos, 9; Gumatay, 7; Mitch, 6; Rosario, 2; Edades, 2
Exit: McInnes, 23; Bondao, 15; Sta. Ana, 6; Pineda, 4; Makasakit, 4; Madeja, 2
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Game 6: The Road to the Playoffs
Here are the highlights of Game 6
- On top of the rankings are GK Warriors and cinderella team, Maricas. Both topnotchers with identical 5-0 slate face the cellar dwellers, Elkton Blazers and Team Force. Will the Blazers and Team Force pull the biggest upset of the season and be regarded as the spoilers of the Year?
- Dynamic Excel faces a dangerous Delaware Titans. For the Titans, it is a must win to enter the magic 8. A loss by the Excel team will throw them into a rankings battle for L1 and L2.
- Exit Realty squares off with a resurgent Baltimore Dragons, who won their last 3 divisional games. For the Realtors it is a must win to enter the magic 8.
- WSA battles last year's second placer, TFC Mainline. WSA, who lost some of its key players to TFC, has an axe to grind and will not give TFC an inch in their game. On the other hand, TFC would like to redeem itself from a 3-game loss in the divisional rounds. Who do you think will prevail?
- Red Bulls and Casa Rap will play each other for the second time this season. In their last encounter in Game 3, Casa Rap prevailed over the Bulls. Will the 2007 Champions, Red Bulls, even the score and enter the magic 8?
Will our blog-voters predict the magic 8 for game 6? Vote now on our blog surveys!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
G5: TFC edges Dynamic Excel in the dying seconds to win by 1, 42 - 41.
Raymond Mendoza scored a solitary point for TFC in their revenge match against Dynamic Excel. But this single shot made from the foul-throw line was enough to transform Mendoza from zero to HERO. His single-point production came at the most important time of the ballgame - with 2 seconds left, Mendoza fouled and both teams tied at 41. Everyone on the court had their focus on Mendoza as he made 1 out of 2 pressure-packed shots that sent the TFC bench and fans into wild jubilation.
Prior to Mendoza’s free throw, Justin Mercado of Excel tied the game with, yet again, two free throws with 15 seconds remaining. In the ensuing play, Dennis Balagtas, fouled a jump shooting Mendoza with 2 ticks remaining, that paved the way for Mendoza’s game-winning shot.
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Box Scores:
TFC: Santos A., 10; Nicdao, 9; Dazon, 8; Sanchez, 7; Liga, 2; Esquerra, 1; mendoza, 1;
Excel: Mercado, 10; Balagtas, 8; Miranda, 8; Valera, 5; Pr'Out, 4; Mann, 3; Sanchez, 2; Bandoy, 1;
G5: Casa Rap defaults crucial game to Exit Realty
It was an easy exit for the Realtors as CASARAP lost by default for not showing up with the required 5 players to compete. Its fifth player, Sherwin Cabalza, was a tad too late to save the team from defaulting the game. The defaulted game rewarded EXIT REALTY with a 20-0 point margin.
In the spirit of sportsmanship, both teams agreed to play an exhibition match for the benefit of the fans. Ironically, the no-bearing game was won by CASA RAP on a squeaker, 74-73.
But the spotlight clearly belonged to Joseph Riel who scored a career high, 43 points and broke the highest 3-point record in a single game by making 7 three-point baskets. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and 2 assists to finish his well-rounded game.
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Box Scores:
Casa Rap: Agui, 24; Antoni, 16; Del Rosario, 16; Valencia, 12; Cabalza., 6;
Exit: Riel, 43; Bondao, 13; Velarde, 11; Pineda, 4; Tan; 2;
G5: Dragons run rings around a Lancioni-less Blazers, 77 - 42.
Baltimore Dragons flexed its dragon muscles by taking advantage of a Lancioni-less Elkton Blazers to notch their 3rd straight win, 77 - 42. Julio Concepcion exploded with a game high, 31 points, to lead an early 18-5 blitz that spelled doom for the Blazers.
Julio Concepcion, who scored 10 points in the first half, helped the Dragons increase their lead at halftime to 38 - 19. Julio continued his scoring rampage in the second half by connecting 21 more points, with 6 of his baskets coming from the 3-point area. He also played an all-around game by snatching 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
The hapless Blazers anchored its scoring woes on Jim Reynolds who dished out 16 markers. So dominant were the Dragons that they ended up with a 35 point win.
- With reports from Jun Rana and Scribbs.
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Box Scores:
Dragons: Concepcion, 31; Latogo, 12; Edades, 11; Gumatay, 11; Concepcion, F., 6; Barsotos, 4
Blazers: Reynolds, 16; Gurango, 13; Echvestre, 5; Dela Cruz; 4; Jirkowsky, 2; Lalicon, 2.
G5: WSA puts a clamp on Titans offense to eke out a low-scoring win, 36 - 32.
In one of the lowest scoring game this season, WSA manages to eke out a win off the sputtering Titans, 36-32. The low-scoring ballgame was a result of WSA's tight defense on Titans prolific forward, Jesse Fabian. Who, on a normal game day, averages in double digit outputs, but was limited to a mere 6 points.
The game was close throughout, with WSA clinging only to 29-27 lead with 3 minutes left in the ballgame. However, WSA outscored the Titans 7- 5 in the last 3 minutes behind the attacking game of Zorab Fernandez.
- reported by Jun Rana
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Box Scores:
WSA: Fernandez, 9; Oniate, 7; Dabu, 6; Concepcion, 4; Lelina, 4, De Lara, 3; Raymundo, 3.
Titans: Ortega, 7; Fabian, 6; Fontano, 6; Alafriz, 4; Corotan, 4; Fermin, 3; Alvarez, 1; Garcia, 1.
G5: Maricas defies the odds, tramples Red Bulls, 53 - 39
Maricas will surely be this season's Cinderella team as it defies the odds and clinches its 5th win over Red Bulls. In the past 3 seasons, the core of the Maricas team, under the name KOP/Pinoy used to hug the cellar and has never seen a the light to the playoffs. This year, after a complete make-over and a new team sponsor, Maricas remains unbeatable in the regular games, tied only to the mighty GK Warriors.
At gametime, Maricas showed poise in beating Red Bulls 53-39. The team's balanced scoring, combined with their fluid offense and superb defense carried the day for Maricas. BJ Advento who had only 2 points in the first half caught fire in the second half with 12 points, for a game high 14 points. The win puts Maricas in second place in the over-all rankings and top spot in the Pilipino division. Red Bulls, on the other hand, slides to 7th over-all.
-With reports from Jun Rana and Scribbs.
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Box Scores:
MARICAS: Advento, 14; Savella, 8; Setters, 7; Persons, 7; Jersey 14, 5; Aquino, 4; Carabio, 3; Ramiscal, 2; Alday, 2.
RED BULLS: Pangilinan, 10; Deleste, 9; Borres, 8; Tizon, 6; Balan, 4; Brunzuela, 2.
G5: GK Warriors makes mince meat out of Team Force, 110 - 60
GK proved once again that it has the deepest bench this season, as it virtually made mince meat of Team Force on a 50-point route, 110 - 60. Despite the heroics of Marcus Chiu, who scored a game-high of 24 points, it was evident that Team Force could not sustain the offensive power of the Warriors.
In the opening minutes of the game, GK sprinted to a 10-0 bomb to rattle Force. And at the end of halftime, GK padded the lead further to 48-24 and 67-34 and put the game beyond recall.
Five GK players dotted the box scores with double-digit stats to lead a 10-man offense. Ryan de Gracia topscored the Warrior's offense with 24 points, 18 of which, came from three-point country. He was followed by Ryan de Guzman, with 12, Coco Clemente and Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga, with 11 apiece. GK's win over Team Force solidifies their first place position in the over-all rankings, making them a mathematical shoe-in for the playoffs. On the other hand, the loss by Team Force slides them to 10'th place overall.
**With reports from Jun Rana and Scribbs
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Box Scores:
GKW: De Gracia, 24; De Guzman R., 12; Clemente, Coco, 11; Veranga, 11; Yanogacio, 10; Clemente, C, 9; Clemente, I, 9; Llave, 9; Clemente, C, 8; Monsalud, 7;
FORCE: Chui, 24; Alvarez, 15; Talag, 13; Dela Cruz, 3; Bacal, 3; Maltman, 2
Monday, July 13, 2009
Game 5: The Penultimate Round
What is at stake for Game 5?
RANKINGS FOR THE PLAYOFFS.
Here are the highlights for Game 5:
Vote now on our blog surveys!
- On the top of the ladder board, 2 teams have identical 4-0 cards, GKW & Maricas. Both teams face possible spoilers that could forge a 3-way tie with 4-1 cards should GK and Maricas lose and Excel win game 5.
- Dynamic Excel is in solo 3rd. If they lose game 5 to TFC and the four teams with 2-2 cards win game 5, a possible 5-way tie can happen - all with 2-3 cards..
- 4 teams are locked with identical 2-2 cards, Casa Rap, Wala Sa Ayos, Red Bulls and Baltimore Dragons. If all four teams with 2-2 cards win game 5, a possible 5-way tie can happen with all 5 winning teams gaining 3-2 cards and another 5-way tie at the bottom for the losing teams may ensue, resulting with identical 1-4 cards.
- 5 teams have identical 1-3 cards, TFC, Titans, Force, Exit and Blazers. If all 5 teams win game 5, then a possible 9-way tie can happen with 9 teams having 2-3 cards.
- Game 5 sideshow: TFC and Dynamic Excel face each other once again. The last time they played each other was during the FACAA league championship game where Dynamic Excel came home victors. Will TFC prevail over the Dynamic Excel team this time around? Come and watch the games!
- Whatever happens, one thing is sure, QUOTENT WILL MATTER.
Vote now on our blog surveys!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
G4: Maricas continues win streak, beats Titans, 51 - 45
Blog favorite, Delaware Titans wilts under pressure to give way to dark-horse, Maricas, 51 -45. The first half of play was a tightly contested period with numerous lead changes until both teams started dishing out fouls to clamp on defense. Jesse Fabian of the Titans exploded with 5 triples to lead the Titans offense in the first half.
Not to be outdone, Maricas applied smart defense in the second half that silenced Fabian to a mere 2 points. The defense was so stifling, that the Titans, who scored 34 points in the first half, was limited to 6 points in the final half of play.
Dave Setters led Maricas with 16 points to notch its 4th win in 4 games. Maricas, who surprises everyone with their winning streak, leads the Pilipino Division and is tied with GK Warriors with a 4-0 card. The loss of the Titans, slide them further to 1-3 card tied with 4 other teams.
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Box Scores:
Maricas: Setters, 16; Persons, 7; Lizardo, 5; Savella, 5; Advento, 4; Tanseco, 4; Ramiscal, 3; Magpantay, 3; Carreon, 2; Ulit, 2.
Del Titans: Fabian, 20; Corotan, 15; Ortega, 3; Fermin, 3; De Luna, 2; Villamor, 2.
G4: GK Warriors clobbers Dynamic Excel, 57 - 44
There was no love lost between FACAA champions, Dynamic Excel and defending titlist, GK Warriors as their heated blog exchanges flowed over to the hard court come game time. Playing coach, Mike Sanchez, of the Dynamic Excel Team was given the boot by game officials with 2 technical fouls, as he relentlessly argued with the referees on crucial calls. It was the first double technical foul called this season, which resulted to Coach Mike being thrown out of the ball game and the playing area.
Despite the hardcourt drama, the Warriors remained focused on clobbering Dynamic Excel, as they cruised to their 4th victory in as many games. Throughout the game, the GK Warriors led by as high as 20 points under the firepower of Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga, who produced a game-high, 23 points.
In the second half of play, spitfire Joe Miranda led an 8-2 scoring rampage that almost ignited a semblance of a rally for the Physical Therapists. But the spurt turned out to be short-lived as the Warriors covered the paint well with their Twin Tower defense to douse Excel's hope for a comeback.
GK's win solidifies their lead in overall and division rankings, with a 4-0 card. They are currently tied with Pilipino-division leader, Maricas. Excel's loss slides them to 3rd place over-all and second place in the Americano Division.
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Box Scores:
GK Warriors: Veranga, 23; De Gracia, 10; De Guzman, 7; Clemente (22), 6; Clemente (13), 4; Yanogacio, 2; Llave' 2; Clemente (23), 2; Clemente (41), 1.
Dynamic Excel: Miranda, 11; Pr'Out, 9; Mercado, 9; Imperial, 7; Bandoy, 5; Mann, 3.
G4: Red Bulls overwhelms Exit Realty, 73 - 58
With 5 Red Bulls players scoring in double-digit figures, the Bulls were virtually unstoppable as they overwhelmed a stunned Exit Realty team, 73 - 58.
In the first half of play, the teams were separated by a mere 4 points with the Red Bulls gaining the upper hand. Scott McInnes kept Exit Realty in the ballgame by spearheading the Realtors with 8 points in the first half.
But as soon as the second half started, Joseph Pangilinan of the Red Bulls thwarted his Exit guards by exploding with 4 of his 6 three-point bombs to give the Bulls a comfortable lead. Pangilinan led the Bulls in scoring with a game-high, 22 points.
So fluid was the Bulls' offense that Richie Tizon was one assist shy of a double-double performance as he dished 9 assist passes together with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Tizon ties Red Bulls center, Deleste, in rebounds. Chris Balan, on the other hand, completed the Bulls' triangle offense by contributing 15 high-percentage points.
The win puts the Bulls in a four-way tie with a 2-2 win loss card, improving their chances for a playoff berth. The Realtors' loss, however, slides them down to 1-3 card tied with 5 other teams.
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Box Scores:
Red Bulls: Pangilinan, 22; Balan, 15; Tizon, 11; Deleste, 10; Borres, 9; Malicdem, 2; Tanjuakio, 2; Wu, 2.
Exit Realty: McInnes, 23; Ramos, 10; Velarde, 9; Makasakit, 6; Tan, 5; De Guzman, 4; Sta. Ana, 1.
G4: WSA stops Casa Rap's momentum in overtime, 71- 65
Former Palaro champions, Wala Sa Ayos, displayed its steel veins under pressure by escaping Casa Rap's pestering rally and winning the game in overtime, 71 - 65. It was indeed a hard-fought encounter even as WSA led througout regulation only to be surprised by a late surging rally.
Casa Rap's ace playmaker and team captain, Steve Antonio, took matters into his own hands in the last 5 minutes of regulation to fashion a game-tying rally at the end of the second half. With WSA brandishing double-digit leads, Antonio was a man with a mission as he sprang a 10-point scoring binge to tie the ball game at 63. Antonio topscored for the Casa Rap Bomb Shells, finishing with a game high, 25 points.
Shaken by Casa Rap's never-say-die rally, WSA banked on steady free-throw shooting in the crucial OT period to claim its second win in 4 games. WSA led a more balanced bench with 9 of its players contributing to the win. Marlon Oniate led WSA with 18 points, followed by Lester Dabu and Felix Vergara with 12 and 10 points respectively.
WSA's win ties them with Casa Rap and 2 other teams with a 2-2 win-loss card, improving their chances for a playoff berth.
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Box Scores:
Wala Sa Ayos: Oniate, 18; Dabu, 12; Fernandez, 9; Alegarbes, 8; Concepcion, 6; Raymundo, 4; Andre, 2; Fernandez, 2.
Casa Rap: Antonio, 25; Del Rosario, 16; Quezon, 13; Agui, 4; Mallari, 2; Mallari, 2; Pangan, 2; Cabalza, 2.
G4: Lancioni brothers lift Blazers in OT to foil TFC, 69 - 67
Mark their names, Mario (4) and Santini (20), known among their circles as the Lancioni brothers, became the Blazers' demolition-duo, as the pair barges the Blazers to their first win in OT and humbles TFC's firepower to their knees.
So close was the game between the Blazers and TFC, that the Elton squad needed an overtime period to seal its first win (the first OT game of this round) in 4 outings. In the dying seconds of the regulation play, with TFC comfortably leading by three, Mario Lancioni (4) dashes to their front court and releases a 3-point swoosh to throw the game in overtime.
In the ensuing overtime period, it was another Lancioni-show as the demolition-duo scored all of the Blazers' 7 points, with Mario (4) drilling in 5 (a 3-point shot and a regular basket) and Santini connecting on two crucial free throws. With overtime almost coming to a close, and the Blazers leading by two, TFC's Paul Nicdao (15) missed a 3-point desperation shot to give the Blazers a dramtic win in overtime.
The Blazers' demolition-duo led all scorers with a combined 63-point output. Mario topscored the Blazers' front with 38 points, including 8-for-8 in free throw shooting and 4 triples. Santini, on the other hand, came second with 25 points, 4 three-point shot connections and 75% free throw shooting.
Box Scores:
Blazers: Lancioni, M., 38; Lancioni. S.,25; Dela Cruz, 2; Echvestre, 2; Orbeta, 1; Gurango, 1.
TFC: Nicdao, P.,13; David, 11, Dazon, 10; Fogata, 10, Sanchez, 7; Esquerra, 7; Mendoza, 6; Santos, K., 2; Devera, 1.
G4: Baltimore Dragons spews fire to melt Force, 60 - 55
With the Dragons struggling to keep a complete roster, Coach Ed Padilla pulls another ace up his sleeve by fielding in jersey no. 5, Julio Concepcion, to keep the Dragons within striking distance of Team Force. Concepcion readily took the cudgels for the Dragons by dishing in 18 points, 12 of which, coming from the three-point area, all in the first half of play.
Team Force, on the other hand, anchored its offense on Simon Wong's double-double performance as he pumped in 16 points, 12 rebs., 2 blocked shots and a single assist that almost eclipsed the Dragons' fire. The first half of play was so close that Team Force ended it with a 2-point lead. Realizing that Concepcion was spewing fire, Team Force adjusted their defense to silence Concepcion in the second half. And they did just that, as Concepcion struggled to get his bearings together with only 1 rebound to contribute in the final half.
But another Dragon was let loose by Coach Ed in the 2nd half to lift the Baltimore squad to its second win. Isaac Brooks (12), who coasted through the first half with 7 points, exploded with another 11 points to break Team Force's defense. While Brooks led scoring in the second half, it was really the bench scoring of 4 other Dragons that kept them in the game. The Dragons top-rebounder, Souk Gumatay (4) drilled in 9 points; Frank Concepcion (22), who was scoreless in the first half, waxed hot with another 8 points in the second half; and clutch shooters, Jackie Barsotos (23) and Paco Estrada (24), contributed 4 and 3 points respectively.
All told, the Baltimore Dragons spewed fire that melted team Force to its 3rd loss in 4 outings. The Dragons improve their standing to 2-2 win-loss card, tying them with 3 other teams in the 4th spot over-all and 3rd ranked in division standings.
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Box Scores:
Dragons: Concepcion, J., 18; Brooks, 18; Gumatay, 9; Concepcion, F., 8; Barsotos, 4; Estrada, 3.
Force: Wong, 16; Talag, 13; Chiu, 9; Dela Cruz, 5; Acuna, 4; Bacal, 3; Bune, 3; Maltman, 2.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Game 4: Breaking the Log Jams
We're back from a brief and much-deserved 4th-of-July break. From this point forward, games will be played to the very end with no breaks to boot. So here's a sneak peak of the next games this coming Saturday.Game 4 Highlights:
- Powerhouse team, Dynamic Excel-Phi faces the defending champions, GK Warriors, in a matchup that promises to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Whoever wins, breaks the 3-0 log jam in the Americano Division.
- Dark horse team, Maricas, who continues to be undefeated after three games of play battles blog-favorite, Delaware Titans. If the Titans win, they get out of their own 1-2 log jam with 6 other teams.
- TFC Mainline mix it up with Elkton Blazers, who remain winless after 3 games. If the Blazers pull an upset against TFC, a possible 1-3 log jam may arise.
- Solo 4th placer, Casa Rap, plays former champions, Wala Sa Ayos, that may result in a 3-1 or 1-3 log jam after the game.
- Baltimore Dragons, fresh from a tight win off TFC Mainline, faces the Force team to contnue their uphill climb to the playoffs. Will the Force team have enough guts to stop the dragons?
- 2007 champs, Red Bulls, squares off against Exit Realty in a battle to increase their chances for a playoff spot.
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