Controversial triple lifts PSS past Shirley’s

 Dave Sablan drilled a buzzer-beating trey to power PSS/McGraw-Hill to a thrilling 88-87 win over host Shirley’s during the second game in the 3rd Annual Shirley’s Coffee Shop Invitational Basketball League last Tuesday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Sablan made the dagger in the last 1.1 seconds, which Shirley’s players claimed shouldn’t have been counted because the former didn’t had enough time. The host team contested the basket referee Arnold Mesa counted. Shirley’s also argued that the basket was only a 2-pointer not a triple.

The controversial play started with Gus Palacios inbounding the ball from the right sideline and Sablan receiving it after coming off a screen. He then dribbled toward the right key and pulled up for a double-clutch shot that banked as time expired.

PSS players celebrated after the shot, while Shirley’s cagers approached Mesa and challenged the call. They even showed Mesa a video of the last play. After seeing the video, Mesa retracted his earlier decision, but PSS’ James Lee argued that the referee’s first call was final. Mesa went on to huddle with fellow referees Gilbert Espinosa and Toto Banatasa and the former had another change of heart, saying PSS won off Sablan’s triple.

A video of the last play was posted on Facebook yesterday and it showed that although the basket was indeed made at the buzzer, it was only a 2-pointer not a triple. When Sablan received the inbound pass, he dribbled only once, not twice as Shirley’s players claimed. Then he leaned toward defenders Wowie Abuel and Rommel Usi and had his right foot sliding into the green paint and his left foot outside the white 3-point mark when he went up for the big shot. For a triple to be counted, both feet should be outside the 3-point arc.

Shirley’s could have used the video to contest the match, but it decided not to place the game under protest.

Sablan’s crucial shot came after Rommel Usi hit a baseline jumper off Marlon De Dios’ drop pass to give Shirley’s an 87-85 lead. PSS sued for time with 1.1 seconds remaining and left its fate on Sablan’s hands.

Before connecting on the triple, Sablan muffed a bundle of treys and made only one in the first three periods. PSS’ several attempts and misses from downtown allowed Shirley’s to take control of the game midway in the second quarter and lead by as much as 14 twice in the third period, 59-45 and 65-51.

Then Kelvin Fitial and James Villacrusis came into PSS’ rescue late in the third, while Sablan’s short jumper forced the first deadlock in the second half, 70-all. It was a nip-and-tuck game from thereon with PSS getting the breaks in the end to improve to a 4-1 record for a share of second place with defending champion PIC/NVM.

Shirley’s dropped to a sorry 0-5 record.

DFS 93, Grillin’ 87

In the first game, DFS Galleria survived Grillin’s second-half rally to take its fifth win in six games and join Mobil in the lead.

DFS led at the break, 50-35, but was held to 12 points in the third period and fell behind 62-67, with only a quarter left in the game. Only three players scored for DFS in the third, while four Grillin’ bets combined for 30 of the team’s 32 markers in that canto.

In the fourth quarter, Pete Iguel, who was limited to one field goal and a free throw in the third, sizzled for 13 points, while Jack Lizama and Dan Barcinas added eight and seven to save DFS.

Grillin’, which dropped to a 1-4 record, failed to pull off another upset when only Rocyl Ritual and Leo Galarse tallied more than two points in the final canto. Grillin’ notched its first win last weekend after stunning PIC/NVM,

First Game

DFS Galleria 93 – Iguel 26, Lizama 16, Jung 13, Barcinas 12, Guiab 11, White 5, Chavez 4, Rivera 2, Larrioza 2.

Grillin’ 87 – Lerio 21, Ritual 17, Pagarao 16, Galarse 16, Kintz 10, Hernandez 7.

Scoring by quarters: 22-19, 50-35, 62-67, 93-87.

Second Game

PSS/McGraw-Hill 88 – Fitial 25, Villacrusis 25, Sablan 14, Mendez 6, Cabrera 6, Itibus 4, Villagomez 2, Palacios 1.

Shirley’s 87 – De Dios 27, Bernardo 18, Barrios 17, Sedillo 10, Usi 8, Abuel 4, Nicdao 2, Peredo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 19-17, 39-47, 58-67, 88-87.