MDX clinches first semis seat

MDX/Blue Haus barged into the semifinals of the 2011 DLX Basketball Invitational Friendship League after routing Pacific Postal Plus, 74-49, during the first round of the playoffs last Wednesday night at the Gualo Rai Court Basketball.

MDX capitalized on Pacific Postal second-half collapse to post an easy victory. Pacific Postal, who was seeded last in the playoffs and faced the pennant champ and undefeated MDX was held to 22 points in the second half to bow out of the competition with a winless record.

Pacific Postal’s offense was so lackluster that only Rex Yabut broke into double figures for the team with a quiet 11 markers. His completed three-point play in the opening minutes of the third quarter gave Pacific Postal its first taste of the lead, 33-32, since the 2-0 count in the first period.

Then in the next eight and a half minutes of the third quarter, Pacific Postal was held to four points, while the backcourt combination of Zack Babauta and Ziddy Johanes and inside play of big man Alex Lauron helped MDX regain full control of the match. The trio scored all of MDX’s 21 points in the third quarter, turning a 32-27 halftime lead to a 14-point advantage, 53-39, entering the final period. Pacific Postal was held to 12 points in the third canto and made only three field goals.

Pacific Postal’s offensive woes continued in the fourth, as it could not penetrate MDX’s defense inside, forcing the former to take a bundle of shots from downtown. Pacific Postal was limited to 10 points and scored two triples when the game was already in the bag for MDX.

Johanes top-scored for MDX with 15 points, while Lauron and Babauta contributed 14 and 10, respectively.

Lauron nailed MDX’s first and last basket in the opening canto, which ended in a deadlock, 15-15, as Pacific Postal finished the quarter with back-to-back triples.

A 15-4 scoring run in the first seven minutes of the second frame gave MDX its biggest lead in the first half, before it was held to only two free throws in the last three minutes of that canto. MDX’s poor finish in the second half then allowed Pacific Postal to move within five at the break and the latter continued to recover early in the third only to run out of offensive options in the majority of the second half.

Meanwhile, the second playoff pairing between Blue Haus/Satbahi and FGC was rained out with the former ahead, 60-43, 5:08 to go in the game.

The match will resume after the playoff tiff between SCS Heavy Equipment Rental and 8th Division this Saturday. SCS and 8th Division will duel at 6pm.

Blue Haus contained FCG to four points in the first nine minutes of the suspended match to take early control of the match.

FGC picked up its scoring a bit in the second period, nailing 11 markers for a 17-point total. However, Blue Haus behind Badong Camacho and Leo Itaas doubled FGC’s output to turn a 14-6 cushion to a 38-17 halftime lead. FGC still failed to buy consecutive baskets in the first half, as it resorted to one-on-one plays, while Blue Haus scored a lot off its extra passes and good players rotation.

The advantaged ballooned to as much as 25 early in the third, 42-17, before FGC launched a 15-2 rally and moved within 12 after White Capalad’s short jumper, 44-32. However, Blue Haus pulled away again, 52-32, with Sam Fernandez and Brandon Talania drilling one triple apiece and Camacho making a baseline jumper.

Talania picked up where he left of in the fourth quarter, scoring all of Blue Haus’ seven points in that period to keep their wide distance against FGC. FGC failed to make headway in the first half of the final period, as it only matched Blue Haus’ output before rain suspended play.

Meanwhile after the continuation of the FGC-Blue Haus tussle, Wushin Express and Sherwin Williams will have their own win-or-go-home game. Then the semis pairings will be determined once the first round of the playoffs is completed.

[B]MDX/Blue Haus 74[/B] – Johanes 15, Lauron 14, Babauta 10, Tenorio 8, Lisua 6, Palacios 6, Lansang 5, Park 4, Diaz 2.
[B] Pacific Postal Plus 49[/B] – Yabut 11, M. Usi 9, R. Usi 7, Tenepere 7, Acosta 5, Bicera 5, Johnson 4.
[B] Scoring by quarters:[/B] 15-15, 32-27, 53-39, 74-49.