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

Game 5: The Penultimate Round

WATCH THE THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF GAME 4. CLICK HERE.

What is at stake for Game 5?
RANKINGS FOR THE PLAYOFFS.

Here are the highlights for Game 5:

• 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.
  

Which combination do you think will happen? And who will remain on top, GK or Maricas?

Vote now on our blog surveys!

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.

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.

Who do you think will emerge victors after Game 4? Vote now on our surveys.