AD 31 keeps playoff hopes alive

  AD 31 stayed in contention for a playoff spot in the 2012 DLX/DL JOS Inter-Color Basketball League after slipping past 8 Division last Friday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

AD 31 finished the round-robin elimination with a 3-4 record for fourth place in the team standings in Bracket A behind Team Pogi (4-1), DLS/Irish Spring (3-1), and Docomo (3-3). Only the Top 4 teams will move to the playoff round and with AD 31 done for the regular season, its chances of making in to the next stage of the league will now depend on the performance of the bottom of squads: Mawati (2-1), Marianas Water (2-2), LD Prime (1-3), and 8 Division (1-4).

8 Division, which absorbed its fourth loss against Docomo last Saturday, first fell to a 1-3 card after a monumental collapse against AD 31. 8 Division led by as much as 27 points in the second quarter before things fell apart for the team, starting in the third period.

8 Division was held to 12 points in the third canto, while AD 31 erupted for 32 points, slicing the 23-point halftime deficit (22-45) to three, 54-57, with still a full quarter to go.

Young guns Rodney Sacramento and Lester Vertudez anchored AD 31’s comeback in the third period with the former firing 10 points and the latter adding 9 markers. Arman Anasan and Dexter Tenorio also did their share in the rally, combining for 12 markers.

8 Division was limited to four field goals in the third canto with only Daniel Dela Cruz and Jun Hernandez scoring more than 2 points. It never recovered from the breakdown in the fourth period, while Sacramento and company continued eating up 8 Division’s lead to complete the come-from-behind win. Sacarmento nailed 7 of 8 Division’s first 9 points, while Aries Olivos came from the bench and made all his 5 markers in the homestretch to seal the victory.

Sacramento led all scorers with 26, while Vertudez and Tenorio chipped in 19 and 11, respectively. Dela Cruz paced 8 Division with his 24 markers.

Fastbreakers 95, R-Lyn’s 56

In the Bracket B match, the Fastbreakers ended their regular season campaign with a bang, whipping R-Lyn’s.

The Fastbreakers finished the elimination with a 6-1 record, tied with KFC, but lost in the tiebreak for the No. 1 spot in Bracket B as the latter won over the former in their only meeting this season.

R-Lyn’s dropped to a 1-3 card and may need to sweep its last three games to remain in the hunt for a playoff seat. With KFC and the Fastbreakers already assured of tickets to the next round, only two playoff seats will be contested by five teams. Wushin with its winless record (0-6) is out of the race. Joining R-Lyn’s in the battle for the two remaining playoff berths are Banahaw (3-2), San Roque (2-2), Sinigang (1-3), and Gualo Rai (1-3).

The Fastbreakerss had the game against R-Lyn’s in the bag as early as the first period, leading at 28-11. The Fastbreakers consistently scored 20-plus points in the next two quarters to pad the lead before slowing down in the fourth canto where R-Lyn’s matched the former’s output of 17 points.

Adrian Palacios top-scored for the Fastbreakers with 16 and he had four other teammates breaking into double figures. Aaron Engelhardt and John Capuyon Sr. tallied 13 apiece for R-Lyn’s.

First Game

Fastbreakers 95 – Palacios 16, Aranda 12, Isip 12, De Leon 11, Cadiang 10, Taylor 8, Olfindo 8, Manangan 6.

R-Lyn’s 56 – Engelhardt 13, Capuyon Sr. 13, M. Puno 10, Echavez 8, N. Puno 5, Capuyon Jr. 3, Buniag 2, Buenabajo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 28-11, 48-24, 77-39, 95-56.

Second Game

AD 31 72 – Sacramento 26, Vertudez 19, Tenorio 11, Anasan 9, Olivos 5, Palomique 2.

8 Division 69 – Dela Cruz 24, Detera 14, Alano 10, Reyes 9, Hernandez 9, Jacob 2.

Scoring by quarters: 8-19, 45-22, 54-57, 72-69.