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.

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.

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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

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

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;

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.