F4: GK Warriors pounds on Wala Sa Ayos, 71 - 39, enters finals

Report by June Rana

With an awesome display of offensive firepower, superb rebounding and stifling defense, the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Warriors dismantled Wala Sa Ayos (WSA), 71-39 to enter the finals of the 2009 PAAD Palaro Basketball Championship. The win also preserved the Warriors unbeaten record. The Warriors, gunning for the championship with a perfect season, will now face the Baltimore Dragons in the finals on Saturday, August 15.

It was an intense game throughout and it was WSA who cracked in the early going. With the pressure of a tournament favorite, and amidst the brouhaha of the light transparent gold shirts which they used atop their normal uniforms, the Warriors showed character and poise in winning over WSA. The PSC allowed the use of the gold shirt which is a symbol of the team with the best record in the semifinals.

Earlier, WSA hang tough with the Warriors, down by only four at 11-7, with 17 minutes remaining in the first half. However, MVP candidate Yogi Veranga with the supporting cast of Leo Yanogacio, Ryan De Gracia and Ryan De Guzman engineered a 15 -5 lightning attack to pad the lead to 26-12, time down to 6 minutes in the first half.

WSA tried in vain to get back to the game with the efforts of Michael Alegarbes, but time in time again they were frustrated by the tight defense of the Warriors who clogged the lanes to prevent easy shots at the basket. A rebound and a follow up shot by Veranga with a minute remaining put the dagger in the heart of WSA, as the Warriors built a commanding 33-17 lead and enroute to a 35-17 halftime lead. It was clear that captain Herb Monsalud and the Warriors were all up to business to put the game away early on.

Earlier in the first half, WSA protested that the Warriors should be penalized as one of its players does not have his usual regular uniform. The head referee ruled that this is not a problem because the transparent gold shirts of the Warriors atop their normal uniforms were the uniforms themselves. WSA protested this ruling but cooler heads prevailed and WSA finally decided to play on.

The Warriors continued their domination in the second half. A layup by Warrior veteran Yanogacio pushed the lead to 43-23 with 18 minutes remaining. Sensing for the Pacquiao knockout blow, Veranga and De Gracia dropped a 9-1 bomb as the Warriors extended the lead to 52-24 time down to 14 minutes.

Unlike in their previous games, there were no scoring runs in the second half this time for WSA to the dismay of its cheering fans. WSA’s top scorers Lester Dabu and JP Raymundo were held to only 6 points and 5 points, respectively. The Warriors were also dominant in the boards, outrebounding WSA, 15-5.

Veranga had a game high 21 points and 5 rebounds for the Warriors, followed by De Gracia and De Guzman with 13 and 12 points respectively. For WSA, Alegarbes and Armando Concepcion top scored with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

G8: TFC subdues Maricas in exhibition, 56 - 54

Report by Jun Rana

In a game reminiscent of a championship match, TFC Mainline edged Maricas Oriental Store, 56-54 in a down to the wire finish of the exhibition game. Thus TFC Mainline, one of the most exciting games in the league with their running game and Maricas, the Pilipino Division champion bowed out in style in the ongoing Palaro 2009 basketball tournament.

With only 30 seconds remaining, TFC trailed by one, 54-53 but had ball possession. Alex Santos then hit a jumper to giveTFC the lead 55-54, with 8 seconds remaining. In the next possession, Marlowe Ulit immediately drove to the basket faced by a TFC defender and missed the basket, time down to 3 seconds. Maricas then immediately fouled Santos and sent him to the free throw line. Santos connected on one of the free throws to seal the win for TFC.

In the early going, the inside and speedy plays of Kenny Santos, Paul Nicdao and Jeff Vierneza gave TFC an early 30-15 lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. However, Maricas without its key players, Alex Alday, Kenneth Savella and El Persons battled back behind its spirited plays and team defense. A 16-2 barrage by BJ Advento, Ulit, Ignacio Carreon and Dave Setters narrowed the gap at halftime to 32-31.

The teams then traded baskets until the final minutes with neither teams giving up any inches. Then came the heroics of Alex Santos which clinch the win for TFC. Kenny Santos top scored for TFC with 14 points, followed by Paul Nicdao with 9 and Alex Santos with 8. Advento topped the scoring honors for Maricas with 17 points, followed by Carreon and Setters with 10 and 9 points, respectively.

G8: Force powers past Red Bulls in exhibition, 89-65

Report by Jun Rana

Simon Wong and Ferdinand Mendoza combined for 22 points in the second half to lift Team Force to an 89-65 victory over Red Bulls in an exhibition game. Wong, not exactly known as a three point shooting artist, had 12 points all coming from 4 triples, in the second half. Team Force also held Red Bulls top scorer Jake Cortez scoreless in the second half after a tight first half.

Early in the first half, Red Bulls took the lead 9-6 on tree point shot by Cortez. However, Red Bulls was not able to pull away in the first half even with the torrid shooting of Cortez and able support from Joseph Pangilinan and Karl Malicdem. Force players Ferdinand Mendoza and Marcus Chiu combined for 29 points, including 5 triples to grab the lead at halftime, 45-42.

In the second half, Force behind Wong and Mendoza, slowly pulled away and Red Bulls started missing its shot attempts. Force took advantage of Red Bulls cold shooting spell and went on a shooting spree of their own, hitting eight triples, jump shots and lay ups in succession. Team Force also received help from Joe Nicdao, its guest player from TFC who contributed 10 points in the game.

In the second half Red Bulls’ Jet Deleste, Paulo Tanjuakio and Pangilinan tried to make a game of it but without much success. With 39 seconds remaining and with the smoke of the battle clear in the air, Team Force had built an insurmountable 87-65 lead.

Mendoza top scored for Force with 27 points, followed by Wong and Chiu with 19 and 15 points, respectively. For Red Bulls, Cortez, Pangilinan, and Paulo Tanjuakio were the high scorers with 18, 13 and 10 points, respectively.

G7: Wala Sa Ayos nips Red Bulls in overtime, 41 - 39

Report by Jun Rana

Lester Dabu played the game of his life punctuated by a buzzer beating jumper as time expired to lift Wala Sa Ayos (WSA) to a thrilling overtime victory over Red Bulls, 41-39. It was a heart breaking loss for Red Bulls who had several chances to win the game. WSA nailed the last spot in the semifinal playoffs and eliminated Red Bulls. Dabu top-scored for WSA with 15 points and has 4 rebounds for the game. The game ended at 36-all in regulation.

The game has been low scoring and a nip and tuck affair with no teams leading by more than 5 points. With the score tied at 8-all, Jun Lelina scored on a lay up to put WSA on the lead for the first time at 10-8, with 8 minutes remaining in the game. Both teams then traded baskets, with WSA maintaining a one point lead at halftime 17-16. Chris Balan had 6 points for Red Bulls in the first half.

In the second half, WSA maintained the lead until 21-20, with 18 minutes remaining in the game. At this juncture, Jake Cortez of Red Bulls converted back to back triples to put Red Bulls on top 26-21, with 15 minutes to go. However, Red Bulls was not able to pull away from WSA. In the following crucial 12 minute stretch, Dabu, Marlon Oniate, and Zorab Fernandez ignited a 15-10 bomb to tie the score at 36 all, 1 minute and 21 seconds remaining. Both teams muffed shots in the ensuing possessions. With 4 seconds remaining, Red Bulls had ball possession after a miss by JP Raymundo of WSA. A desperation mid court shot by Chris Balan did not hit the rim as the two teams went into overtime.

In overtime, WSA grabbed the lead on two free throws by Michael Alegarbes and one free throw by Raymundo, with 4 minutes remaining 39-36. The two teams went on a scoreless spell until Jake Cortez hit another three point shot to tie the score at 39-all. With 23 seconds remaining Red Bulls yet again had a chance to win the game with the ball possession. However, Jake Cortez missed a jumper with 3 seconds remaining. A time out was called by WSA. In the ensuing possession, Dabu eluded his guard and made the game winning 9 foot jump shot as time expired.

WSA will face powerhouse GK warriors in the seminal round.

------------

Box Scores:

Wala Sa Ayos:

Dabu, Lester, 15; Lelina, Jun, 6; Oniate, Marlon, 6; Raymundo, JP, 4; Fernandez, Zorab, 4; Alegarbes, Michael, 4; Vergara, Felix, 2

Red Bulls:

Cortes, Jake, 15; Balan, Chris, 10; Pangilinan, Joseph, 8; Brunzuela, Adrian, 2; Tizon, Richie, 2; Deleste, Jet, 2

G7: Dynamic Excel thwarts Maricas surge, 66 - 40

Report by Jun Rana

Dynamic Excel pulled away from a tight first half behind the juggernaut quartet of Rich Bandoy, Joe Miranda, Will imperial and Mark Pr’Out to beat Maricas 66-40 and earned a seminal spot in the playoffs. The loss eliminated the Cinderella team of the tournament Maricas Oriental Store which was unbeaten at the elimination rounds.

Early in the first half Excel built a 20-9 lead with 11 minutes remaining behind the lay ups and jumpers of Will Imperial, Will Barnes and Mark Pr’Out. However, Maricas egged on by its loyal fans and led by El Persons, Dave Setters, Joseph Tanseco and Alex Alday, showed its fighting heart and answered back with an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 22-20 at halftime.

In the second half however, a 21-6 scoring blitz led by Bandoy, Miranda and Imperial gave Excel a commanding 43-26 lead, time down to 8 minutes. At this point, it was clear that Excel’s running game and good defense had taken its toll on Maricas who could not muster enough offense to threaten Excel. Maricas tried all the tricks in its arsenal including lay ups, jump shots and three points shots, but it was not clearly their day. BJ Advento, its top scorer averaging 14 points a game was held to only 5 points in the entire game. The reliable Marlowe Ulit did not score in the entire game after several attempts in the basket most of them lay ups.

And for Excel’s coach Mike Sanchez who rotated his players well specially down the stretch, it’s all smiles for him and his players who now play the Baltimore Dragons in the semifinals.

------------

Box Scores:

Dynamic Excel-Phi:

Imperial, Will, 13; Miranda, Joe, 11; Pr'Out, Mark, 10; Bandoy, Rich, 10; Balagtas, Dennis, 7; Barnes, Will, 5; Valera, R.J, 4; Holcomb, Jeff, 3; Sanchez, Mike, 3

Maricas Oriental Store:

Persons, El, 11; Setters, Dave, 10; Alday, Alex, 6; Advento, BJ, 5; Tanseco, Joseph, 4; Lizardo, Jay, 2; Aquino, Norman, 2

G7: GK Warriors drubs Casarap, 73 - 50

Report by Jun Rana

GK Warriors went toe to toe with Casarap in the first half before unleashing its might in the second half to handle Casarap a 73-50 drubbing. The win gave the Warriors the first birth in the semi-final playoffs and eliminated Casarap in the process.

To the delight of the fans, Casarap gave the Warriors all they could handle in the first half. Early in the game, De Gracia, Yogi Veranga and Leo Yanogacio caught fire to give the Warriors a 20-9 lead with 13 minutes to go in the first half. Everyone thought that the Warriors would pull away in a hurry.

However, Casarap’s team captain Steve Antonio, Paul Valencia and Dexter Quezon had other agenda on their minds and answered back with an 18-11 spurt to reduce the margin to four points at 31-27, with 3 minutes remaining. The Warriors finished with an 8-2 flurry behind Ryan De Gracia, Veranga and Curtis Clemente to finish the first half at 37-29. Casarap’s Antonio has 13 points in the first half but did not score in the second half.

In the second half, an early 6-3 burst put Casarap on striking distance at 40-35. However, this proved to be Casarap’s last stand. A layup by Chris Clemente and a 3 point play by Yogi Veranga pushed the lead back to 8 at 45-37 with 11 minutes remaining.

As Casarap showed signs of fatigue, the Warriors stepped up its attack with a 21-9 blast, with lay ups and jump shots by Veranga and De Gracia. They padded the Warrior’s lead to 66-46 with only 1 minute and 58 seconds remaining.

With the score at 70-50 for the Warriors and the outcome beyond doubt in the dying seconds, Dads Cardenio hit a triple to make the final score 73-50 for the Warriors.

Ryan De Gracia top scored for the Warriors with 19 points, followed by 16 points by MVP candidate Yogi Veranga.

Dexter Quezon top scored for Casarap with 14 points.

The Warriors will next face WSA in the semifinals.

------------

Box Scores:

GK Warriors:

De Gracia, Ryan, 19; Veranga, Yogi, 16; Yanogacio, Leo, 10; Clemente, Curtis, 7; Cardenio, Dads, 5; Monsalud, Herb, 4; Clemente, Chris, 4; Clemente, Coco, 4; Llave, Jon, 2; De Guzman, Ryan, 2

Casarap:

Quezon, Dexter, 14; Antonio, Steve, 13; Del Rosario, Jason, 8; Valencia, Paul, 7; Agui, Ramon, 6; Cabalza, Sherwin, 2

G7: Baltimore Dragons stops Team Force, 79 - 57

Report by Jun Rana

Isaac Brooks proved to be a one man wrecking crew, delivering 32 points including 6 triples that powered Baltimore Dragons past Team Force 79-57 and a berth in the semifinal round of the playoffs. Dragons Coach Padilla’s charges also took advantage of the absence of Force top scorer Marcus Chiu in securing the win. The loss eliminated Team Force in the playoffs.

It was a tight game until the last five minutes of the first half. With Brooks leading the attack and with able support from Frank Concepcion, the Dragons had a 26-25 lead with 8 minutes remaining in the first half. Team Force managed to stay close to the Dragons behind the heads up plays of Michael Talag and Ferdinand Mendoza. However, Brooks and Concepcion initiated a 10-2 run that gave the Dragons some breathing room, and a 36-27 halftime lead. At halftime, Brooks had already 18 points or half of the Dragons output.

In the second half, Brooks and Samuel Borromeo triggered a 17-12 attack that padded the lead to 53-39, with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Team Force behind, Anthony Alvarez, Talag, and Ferdinand Mendoza tried to stay in the game but could not get enough offense going and was clearly missing its top scorer Chiu. With Brooks on the attack and having 4 triples in the second half, the Dragons further increased the lead to 70-51 with 5 minutes remaining. From this stanza, both teams traded baskets until the final score of 79-57.

Samuel Borromeo and Frank Concepcion contributed 12 points each for the Dragons. Alvarez top scored for Force with 16 points and Talag added 15.

The Dragons battles Dynamic Excel in the semifinals. It could proved to be an intriguing match-up as Excel defeated the Dragons earlier in the elimination round encounter.

---------------

Box Scores

Baltimore Dragons:
Brooks, Isaac,32; Borromeo, Samuel, 12; Conception, Frank, 12; Borsotos, Jackie, 8; Edades, Edgar, 6; Conception, Julio, 5; Rosario, Alvin, 2; Goasta, Mitek, 2

Team Force:

Alvarez, Anthony, 16; Talag, Michael, 15; Mendoza, Ferdinand, 10; Bune, Jason, 7; Bacal, Djern, 5; Bacal, Devin, 2; Dela Cruz, Jonathan, 2

C7: TFC outruns Titans in Consolation Round, 82 - 33

Report by Jun Rana

It was a battle of youth versus experience. With youth and speed as its side, TFC Mainline demolished one of the most experienced team in the league, the Delaware Titans, 82-33, in the consolation round.

The Titans proved competitive in the early going down by only five, 21-16 with 9 minutes left in the first half. But Arvie Dazon, Alex Santos and Paul Nicdao dropped a 17-2 bomb that pushed the lead to 20 at halftime, 38-18.

The Titans also missed its scoring leader Jessie Fabian specially in the second half where the Titans only scored 15 points. Meanwhile, TFC continued its torrid running game to the hilt and outrun the Titans. TFC scored 44 points in the second half, most of them inside the painted area, to make the final score 82-33.

Alex Santos top scored for TFC with 21 points, followed by Arvie Dazon with 17 points.

George Corotan and Eric Fermin were the top scorers for TFC with 7 and 6 points, respectively.

---------------

Box Scores

TFC Mainline:
Santos, Alex, 21; Dazon, Arvie, 17; Nicdao, Paul, 13; Fogata, Wilbert, 12; Vierneza, Jeff, 6; Liga, Dexter, 6; Sanchez, Butch, 5; Santos, Rudolf, 2

Delaware Titans:
Corotan, Jeorge, 7; Fermin, Eric, 6; Ugarte, Jomar, 5; Garcia, Joneil, 3; Tapel, Dennis, 2; Ronde, Andrew, 2; Alvarez, Luis, 2; Ortega, Ed, 2; Ebron, Karl, 2; Alafriz, Eggie, 2

Game 7: Road to the Finals

View the Video Highlights of Games 5 & 6. Click here.
View updated Photos for Game 6. Click here.

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!!

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.

-------------

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.

------------

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.

-----------

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.

---------------

Box Scores:

G6: Baltimore Dragons routs Exit Realty, 96 - 54

Report by: June Rana

Hot 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.

------------

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

Game 6: The Road to the Playoffs

Game 6: It's Do or Die for the right to be in the MAGIC 8?

It's been a grueling battle after five rounds of divisional games. The rankings have been posted and 12 teams clash head-on to determine who deserves to be in the magic eight for the playoffs.

Here are the highlights of Game 6

1. 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?
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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?
5. 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?

For each round of the divisional games, we have posted surveys on the outcome of each pairing. Based on those surveys, 79% of the blog voters got the results correct and 21% missed the mark.

Will our blog-voters predict the magic 8 for game 6? Vote now on our blog surveys!