Finance/Shipping advances to finals of ‘08 TDHC caging

Finance/Shipping advanced to face Casino Department in the finals of the 7th Annual Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Inter-Departmental Basketball League after beating F&B Service in a no-contest.

The controversial ending was brought about when only one F&B Service cager remained on the court—2007 league MVP Charlie Fernandez—in the 39th minute of the semifinals, forcing referees to call the game a no-contest in favor of the Finance/Shipping, which improved its win-loss record to 3-0.

The Finance/Shipping-F&B Service match was actually a continuation of their postponed match played earlier with action picking up in the second quarter.

Finance/Shipping’s bruising play dominated F&B Service and allowed it to take a seven-point, 57-50, spread at the half.

But F&B Service countered their opponent’s physicality by drawing big third quarters from its two MVPs—Fernandez and 2006 most valuable player Noel Sabordo—to trim their deficit to 77-78 heading into the fourth and final quarter.

In the payoff period, Fernandez and Sabordo reprised their hot shooting, converting from all angles despite the sticky man-to-man defense put on them by Finance/Shipping to take over the driver’s seat.

F&B Service continued to hold on the lead but foul trouble turned the tide in the final minutes of the game.

One by one, F&B Service players fouled out of the ballgame and with a minute to go in the match, the team’s slotman Russel Pavino was whistled for his fifth and final infraction, leaving only Fernandez to finish the game with them still leading 106-104.

But since Fernandez had no other player to throw the ball to from out of bounds, referees had no choice but to call the game in favor of Finance/Shipping.

The rest of the teams playing in the 7th Annual Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Inter-Departmental Basketball League are Casino Department (3-0 win-loss record), F&B Service (2-2), and Security Department (0-4).

Finance/Shipping and Casino Department started their best-of-three finals series last night, but results of the contest was still not available as of press time.

Before Game 1 of the championship last night, the league held a Rookies/Sophomores vs. Veterans game.

Tuesday also saw the league hold its 3-point shootout with Security Department’s Leo Pascua beating Louie “Iverson” Malimban of Finance/Shipping in the finals.

Finance/Shipping 104 – Torregosa 26, Piol 22, Espiritu 17, Rosales 12, Papias 11, Bustillos 11, Gerogalin 5.

F&B Service 106 – Fernandez 44, Sabordo 37, Pavino 8,Gilber 7, Flores 4, Dancel 4, Gammad 2.

Scoring by quarters: 25-21, 57-50, 78-77, 106-104.

Referees: Don Sarmiento, Bogs Pascua, and Doy Ligan.