MDX vs Blue Haus in DLX finals

MDX and Blue Haus/Satbahi played steady in the second half to oust their respective foes and arrange a winner-take-all championship match in the 2011 DLX Basketball Invitational Friendship League tonight at the Gualo Rai Court Basketball.

MDX derailed Wushin in the first semis match last Wednesday night, 81-64, while Blue Haus/Satbahi downed SCS Heavy Equipment in the other Final Four pairing, 66-52, to set up their final showdown today at 7pm.

The win was 10th in as many games for MDX, which used a 13-3 start to seize control of the match and then foiled Wushin Express’ repeated comeback bids in the second half to advance to the finals.

Wushin Express’ Dick Tibayan opened the first period with a triple, but MDX answered with a big 13-0 run behind the combined nine points from Zack Babauta and Ben Lisua. After Tibayan’s triple, Wushin went scoreless for more than three minutes and obviously missed the presence of gunner Pete Lizama, who reported to the game only in the 3:35 mark of the first period with MDX holding a commanding 17-5 lead.

After the opening 10 minutes of play, MDX protected a double-digit lead, 21-11, and then started the second with a 10-0 spree for a 31-11 advantage. The lead even ballooned to as much as 21 before Wushin made a rally midway in the second canto and sliced the lead to nine at the break, 30-39. Edwin Santos led the comeback with his nine points, while Lizama contributed five.

At the beginning of the second half, Wushin moved closer, 35-42, after Lizama banked a triple. However, Wushin self-destructed after that, committing several turnovers and missing a lot of free throws

MDX regained the twin-digit lead behind its hot 3-point shooting in the third, as they converted four shots from downtown for a 57-43 advantage, entering the final canto.

Wushin tried to overhaul the lead and moved within 11, 53-64, with less than four minutes left, but MDX hung on and sealed the win from the foul line, converting nine charities. In contrast, Wushin missed more than 20 free throws to fall short in its finals bid.

Lisua top-scored for MDX with 24 points, while Dexter Tenorio and Babauta chipped in 13 each. Santos paced Wushin with 18, while Lizama and Junar Guiab added 16 and 14, respectively. Jun Tabora had only 10 points for Wushin as he was saddled by fouls early in the first half.

In the second semis pairing, Blue Haus played better in the second half to secure the second semis seat.

Blue Haus fell behind at the break, 27-30, before holding SCS to eight points in the third to grab the upper hand, 45-38, going into the final canto.

SCS had control of the match in the first half with big man Glenn Aquino playing decoy, dribbling and attacking the basket before dishing off to Manolo Manalo. Manalo finished with 13 points in the first half, but had limited touches in the second half, as Blue Haus guarded the passing lane and managed to push the tempo of the game.

Only three SCS players scored in their third-quarter meltdown, while Blue Haus drew contribution from six players. Blue Haus continued its balance offense in the fourth canto to preserve the lead and take the win, while Manalo almost single-handedly carried SCS on his shoulder and finished with a game-high 23 markers.

SCS played without Rocyl Ritual, who had 12 points in the previous game, and the team also missed the contribution of Robert Guiang, who played in the semis, but was scoreless.

Badong Camacho led Blue Haus with 14 points, while Jun Abedes logged 12.
[B] First Game

MDX 81[/B] – Lisua 24, Tenorio 13, Babauta 13, Johanes 9, Lauron 9, Palacios 7, Park 3.
[B] Wushin Express 64[/B] – Santos 18, Lizama 16, Guia 14, Tabora 10, Tibayan 3, Villasan 3.
[B] Scoring by quarters:[/B] 21-11, 39-30, 57-43, 81-64.
[B] Second Game

Blue Haus/Satbahi 66[/B] – B. Camacho 14, Abedes 12, Cruz 9, Itaas 9, Talania 8, Sison 7, E. Camacho 4, Fernandez 2.
[B] SCS Heavy Equipment 52[/B] – Manalo 23, Mina 9, Pantaleon 9, Miranda 7, Aquino 4.
[B] Scoring by quarters:[/B] 15-10, 27-30, 45-38, 66-52.