KFC, Team Pogi ease past playoff foes

  Top seed teams KFC/Taco Bell and Team Pogi barged into the semis round of the 2012 DLX/DL JOS Inter-Color Basketball League after ousting separate opponents last Monday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

Team Pogi, which led Bracket A in the regular season with a 6-1 record, whipped Bracket B last playoff qualifier Banahaw Restaurant in the first game, 95-89, while Bracket B top-ranked KFC/Taco Bell had a similar double-digit victory over Marianas Water, 88-70.

Both KFC/Taco Bell and Team Pogi are now in the semifinals and will be joined in the Final Four by the winners of the two remaining playoff games tonight. Brabu Gualo Rai takes on Mawati at 6pm for the third semis ticket, while the Fastbreakers battle DLX/Irish Spring for the last Final Four slot at 8pm.

KFC/Taco Bell advanced to the next round after withstanding Marianas Water’s repeated comeback bids.

Marianas Water threatened KFC/Taco Bell for the last time in the opening minutes of the fourth canto, cutting the latter’s lead to 6, 51-57. Marianas Water, which was forced to play catch up as it scored only 7 points in the second quarter and fell behind at the break, 28-21, began the rally late in the third canto after KFC/Taco Bell led by as much as 18, 50-32.

Herbert Maranan started the third period with a triple and went on to score 10 points in that quarter alone to lead KFC/Taco Bell’s breakaway. However, Marianas Water worked its way back into the game behind Christian Devero’s nine markers, moving within eight at the end of the third, 49-57.

Marianas Water hit the first basket in the fourth to slice the deficit to 6, but it was held to only one free throw for about six minutes, allowing KFC/Taco Bell to regain the double-digit lead for the easy win. KFC/Taco Bell had a scintillating 16-1 run, getting two baskets each from the daredevil drives of Ralph Francisco and Joon Lee and several putback from big man Jeff Durant for a commanding 73-52 lead, entering the final three minutes of the match.

Durant, Francisco, and Maranan went on to top-score for KFC/Taco Bell with 15 points apiece, while Lee and J.R. Deleon Guerrero added 12 and 10, respectively. Mel Capalad had 29 points for Marianas Water, which drew only 2 points from Joseph Galulu.

In the first playoff game, Team Pogi also had a third-quarter breakaway to dominate Banahaw Restaurant.

The match was deadlocked at halftime, 36-all, before Team Pogi outscored Banahaw in the first five minutes of the second half, 14-2, to open a 50-38 advantage. The faster and younger crew of Team Pogi stepped up the pace of the game, escaping with several fastbreak layups, while Jeff Bahillo and Renan Lansang also hit a couple of triples to close the third with a 66-51 lead.

Banahaw tried to mount a comeback in the fourth and cut the deficit to as low as nine, 72-81, but ran out of time, which read at 2:10. Team Pogi brought the lead back to double digits and sealed the win after canning seven free throws in the last two minutes.

Jeff Bahillo finished with 29 points for Team Pogi, while Lansang added 19.

Meanwhile, the Final Four pairing will be determined via draw with the semis matches set for this Friday and the title match this Saturday.

First Game

Team Pogi 95 – Je. Bahillo 29, Lansang 19, Chan 14, Sula 12, Ja. Bahillo 6, Aranda 5, Gallardo 3, Aglipay 2, Raquero 2.

Banahaw Restaurant 79 – Lansang 19, Saplan 17, Tabamo 16, Javier 12, Sevilla 2, Santos 2, Tuwon 2.

Scoring by quarters: 24-18, 36-36, 66-51, 95-79.

Second Game

KFC/Taco Bell 88 – Maranan 15, Francisco 15, Durant 15, Lee 12, Deleon Guerrero 10, Omnes 5, Tinio 4, Tumbaga 4, Mendiola 2, Sevilla 2.

Marianas Water 70 – Capalad 29, Devero 15, Casabuena 12, Olivos 5, Vergara 5, Galulu 2, Pacheco 1.

Scoring by quarters: 15-14, 29-21, 57-49, 88-70.

By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter