Finals Match, PAAD Invitationals

GK WARRIORS NIPS TORONTO 25FORLIFE,
WINS PAAD INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Reported by Jun Rana

GK Warriors survived two epic battles, the finals against Toronto 25ForLife of Canada and the overtime win in the semifinals against the Baltimore Dragons to capture the first 2009 PAAD Palaro Invitational One-Day Basketball Tournament. Thus, the GK Warriors completed a hat trick by winning both the 2009 Invitational Basketball Tournament and the rigorous nine day 2009 PAAD Basketball League tournament.

The PAAD Invitational One-Day Basketball Tournament is a six-team tourney participated by the GK Warriors, Baltimore Dragons, PAAD All Star Selections, Toronto 25ForLife, FABA of Metro Washington,DC and Ronin from Philadelphia. In the semifinals, the GK Warriors beat the Dragons in overtime, 54-46 and Toronto 25ForLife edged FABA of Metro DC 33-30 to set the championship dream match between the two top seeded teams.

In the Championship game, Warrior player Dustin Coloso scored the go ahead jumper with 5 seconds left and Ian Clemente’s stonewall defense prevented a shot attempt by the Toronto 25ForLife in the ensuing play as the GK Warriors scored a nerve wracking come from behind victory, 32-31. Coloso made the shot with two pump fakes, and then leaned in to get away from a block attempt by Dean Labayen of Toronto 25ForLife. Coloso, the GK Warriors trigger man, was also adjudged the Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP). Coloso is the son of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Tim Coloso of the famous Toyota Team.

The tournament was played with four quarters of eight minutes of basketball which explained the low scoring game for both teams. Coloso started the game with a three point shot to give the GK Warriors an early 3-0 lead. However baskets by Dean Labayen a former Pro-Baller himself and by James Forrester, a bright prospect for the Pro-Leagues, put Toronto 25ForLife up 6-3. One of the baskets of Forrester came from a spectacular dunk which electrified the fans who witnessed one of only few successful dunks (GK Warriors player Ian Clemente did a successful dunk against Elkton Blazers) in the 10 day PAAD Palaro regular and invitational tournaments.

Toronto 25ForLife, captained by Mike Semira and coached by Al Gregorio, played a torrid pace from thereon. Labayen, Forrester and JR Manlucu dropped a 12-6 bomb, mostly on layups and jump shots, to power Toronto 25ForLife to an 18-11 lead with a minute to go in the second quarter. However, the GK Warriors won’t give up and Coloso hit another triple to narrow the lead to four at 18-14. With a basket yet again from Labayen, the second quarter ended at 20-14 for Toronto 25ForLife.

PAAD League tournament MVP Yogi Veranga came alive at the start of the third quarter with a basket to reduce Toronto 25ForLife lead to four at 20-16. The biggest lead of Toronto 25ForLife came at 25-17 after back to back baskets, a lay up by Forrester and a three point shot by JP Albano. However, in a game more akin to chess of attacks and counterattacks, Veranga and Kevin Skievaski answered with baskets inside the paint to reduce the lead to 27-24 with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It was at this juncture that Warrior player Skievaski, a key contributor to the GK Warriors offense suffered a cut under the right eye which require stitches from a wayward elbow which gave the Warriors fans worried looks.

In the ensuing play, a follow up shot by Forrester and a jump shot by Labayen gave Toronto 25ForLife a 31-26 lead, time down to 4 minutes. It was from this point that free throw and field goal shootings deserted 25ForLife. JP Albano missed three crucial free throws down the stretch as 25ForLife went on a scoreless spell. With 41 seconds remaining in the game, Ian Clemente was fouled on the act of shooting a three point shot. Clemente made 2 of 3 free throws to narrow the gap to 31-28. Another miss by the Toronto team put the ball in the hands of Warrior JC (James Christopher)Albano, not related to Toronto's JP Albano, who was fouled with 32 seconds remaining. JC Albano made the two free throws to reduce the Toronto 25ForLife lead to one, 31-30. Toronto 25ForLife did not score in the next possession which set the stage for Coloso heroics. Coloso made a jumper in the last 5 seconds which enable the GK Warriors to finally take the lead 32-31, Ian Clemente made the crucial defense to keep the lead until the final buzzer sounded thus the GK Warriors made an improbable winning streak of 21-0 since 2008, a stunning record of winning streak in the annals PAAD Palaro history!

And for Captain Herb Monsalud and his charges, this championship is as equally sweet as compared with the PAAD League tournament championship which the Warriors won on August 15, 2009. For on this one, it is where the GK Warriors snatched victory away from the jaws of defeat. For Toronto 25ForLife, they were reflecting on what could have been, wondering what hit them in the last four minutes of the game and what they will do in the future to capture the championship which had eluded them by a hairline.

Box Scores:

GK Warriors - 32

Coloso, Dustin, 12; Veranga, Yogi, 7; Skievaski, Kevin 6; Clemente, Ian, 5; Albano, JC,2; Clemente, Chris, 0; Clemente, Curtis, 0; Clemente, Coco, 0; Llave, John,0; De Guzman, Ryan,0; Antes, JB (DNP); DeGuzman, Carlo 0; Monsalud, Herb, 0; Cardenio, Dads, 0; Dela Torre, Sonny, 0;

Toronto 25ForLife - 31

Labayen, Dean, 13; Forrester, James, 8; Manlucu JR, 7; Albano, JC, 3; Semira, Mike, 0; Dawinan, Ryan, 0; Santa Maria, Jeremiah,0; Pompei, Giuseppe,0