Dollar Days moves closer to title

Dollar Days escaped with a thrilling 119-111 overtime win over KFC/Taco Bell Tuesday night at the Garapan Basketball Court to move a win away from clinching the championship in the 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League.

Jun Pantaleon and Wowie Abuel bailed out Dollar Days in Game 1 of the best-of-three title series, canning crucial baskets. Pantaleon made a triple in the last seven seconds of the regulation to send the game in overtime, while Abuel fired seven points in overtime to save Dollar Days, which blew up a 20-point lead.

A jackrabbit start gave Dollar Days a 32-17 advantage in the first period and the lead ballooned to as much as 20 points, 49-29, midway in the second canto.

Just when most of the spectators expected Dollar Days to walk away with an easy win, the backcourt trio of Joemary Tumaquip, Quincy Johnson, and Bonbon Cadagat brought KFC/Taco Bell back in the game and even took a seven-point lead.

Cadagat’s booming triple from the right key tied the game for the first time, 85-all, since the 2-all tally in the opening quarter. Cadagat added four more points, while Tumaquip nailed a trey in the ensuing plays to give KFC its biggest lead in the game, 92-85, with less than three minutes left in the fourth period.

It was Dollar Days time to mount a comeback in the remaining minutes of regulation and an 11-4 run in a span of 2:20 tied the game for only the third time at 96-all, with 36 second left on the clock.

But KFC/Taco Bell quickly regained the lead, 98-96, when Tumaquip spotted Johnson alone on the left wing for an easy layup, with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Johnson fouled out in Dollar Day’s next offensive set, hacking Kae Bernardo, who split his charities.

After Bernardo made his second free throw, moving Dollar Days within one, 97-98, KFC/Taco Bell quickly went for a fastbreak play with Cadagat making a reverse layup that gave his team a 100-97 lead, with 14 seconds left in regulation.

Left without a timeout, Dollar Days rushed to its frontcourt with Pantaleon pulling up for a triple from the left key and hitting his target to tie the game, 100-all.

Bart Demapan quickly fouled Tumaquip to stop the clock and since Dollar Days was not yet in the penalty, KFC/Taco Bell was forced to make an inbound, instead of taking two shots from the foul line.

With five seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cadagat went for a shot from beyond the arc and missed. Larry Palero grabbed the offensive rebound, but muffed his shot against two Dollar Days defenders, too, sending the game in overtime.

In extension, KFC/Taco played without the fouled out Johnson, while Cadagat also sat to the bench in the 2:32 mark due to cramps, allowing Dollar Days to pull away.

Kae Bernardo made the first basket in overtime, while Abuel scored seven straight points on a three-point play, a triple, and a free throw. KFC/Taco Bell was held to two points on Cadagat’s layup in the first 3:32 of the extension period.

A triple from Bon Tamayo sealed the doom for KFC/Taco Bell, as Dollar Days led by 10, 114-104, with 1:09 left in the game.

Dollar Days 119 – Abuel 34, Bernardo 28, De Vero 19, Tamayo 11, Demapan 10, Pantaleon 9, Siriban 4, Galvez 2.

KFC/Taco Bell 111 – Cadagat 39, Itaas 20, Tumaquip 16, Johnson 10, Lerio 8, Capalad 7, Itibus 3, Mendez 3, Palero 2, Concepcion 2, Norita 2.

Scoring by quarters: 32-17, 55-39, 73-67, 100-100, 119-111 (OT).