Auto Motion, Ol’Aces enter semis

Auto Motion and the Ol’Aces completed the semis cast in the 2015 United Filipino Organization Basketball League after knocking out their respective foes last Wednesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Ol’Aces’ Mike Muna pulls up for a baseline jumper against Gilas’ Chico Bondoc, second left, and D.J. Espinosa, partly hidden, during the first quarter of their playoff game in the U20 division of the UFO caging last Wednesday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Auto Motion recovered from a slow start and survived the hot shooting of Old’Aces’ Jesse Stole in the second half to notch a 76-67 win and join Blue Haus, LBT Appraisal, and Armatech in the Final Four of the Masters division. The Old’Aces were eliminated along with Graphics/Star 6.

The Old’Aces got the boot despite taking an early double-digit spread, 23-6. Jerry Ayuyu led the Old’Aces in the first period, firing 10 points and outgunning Auto Motion, which was held to three field goals in the opening frame.

Auto Motion then turned the tables on Old’Aces in the second period, 28-6, behind the four triples of Marlon Sison and Mico Usi and Robert Guiang’s 6 points, to grab the upper hand after the first half, 34-29. In the second half, Auto Motion made repeated bids to pull away, but Old’Aces, behind the 3-point shooting of Stole, refused to give up.

Stole scored Old’Aces’ last 10 points in the third period, keeping his team in the match, 54-58, entering the fourth canto. Before Stole’s string of points, Auto Motion threatened to break away, 56-46, with just 1:15 left in the third. Auto Motion established the double-digit spread despite losing Sison, who was ejected from the game along with Old’Aces’ Bryan Manabat for exchanging unpleasant words midway in that period.

Auto Motion widened the gap anew in the opening minutes of the fourth, 66-54 behind the two straight baskets of Resty Joson and one each from Ed Yalung and Andy Viola. However, Stole was not ready to throw in the towel yet as he drained three consecutive triples to slice the deficit to 3, 63-66, 5:28 left on the clock.

Auto Motion pressed the panic button after Old’Aces’ rally and when the game resumed countered with its own 8-0 spurt to take the game away for good, down to the last two minutes of the match. Guiang started the run with an and-1 undergoal shot that he failed to complete, while Viola hit two shots in the paint, and Joson canned the other point-blanked shots against the undersized and depleted Old’Aces crew.

The Old’Aces were limited to two field goals in the last five minutes and change of the fourth quarter with Stole making only one field goal and missing his next five 3-point attempts. Junior Renguul canned the other basket for the Old’Aces.

With the win, Auto Motion forced a semis duel against LBT Appraisal this Saturday. Blue Haus and Armatech will collide in the other Final Four matchup tonight.

Meanwhile, in the U20 division, the Ol’Aces joined Sonics, Armatech, and Blue Haus in the semis after ousting Gilas in the knockout game, 101-50.

Gilas, which bowed out of competition without a single win to show, managed to keep up with the Ol’Aces only in the first few minutes of the opening frame before the latter went to business and dominated the former.

The Ol’Aces had a 9-0 windup in the last four minutes of the first period to take a 20-11 advantage and played no let up in the last three frames to rout Gilas.

The Ol’Aces will challenge the Sonics in the second semis pairing this Saturday, while Blue Haus and Armatech will meet in the first Final Four duel tonight.

First Game
Auto Motion 76 – Guiang 18, Viola 15, Joson 12, Galulu 8, Usi 8, Sison 8, Yalung 6.

Old’Aces 67– Stole 31, Renguul 18, Ayuyu 16, Fitial 2.

Scoring by quarters: 6-23, 34-29, 58-54, 76-67.

Second Game
Ol’Aces 101 – Jo. Santos 29, Magofna 22, Lampkin 14, Nakashima 10, Muna 9, Je. Santos 8, Jones 6, Palino 3.

Gilas 50 – Salalila 14, Esmundo 12, Espinosa 6, Diyco 6, Bondoc 6, Aque 2, Sto. Domingo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 20-11, 45-21, 69-36, 101-50.