KFC/Taco Bell stays alive

KFC/Taco Bell lives for another day following a 104-101 victory over Dollar Days in Game 2 of their title series in the 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League Thursday night at the Garapan Basketball Court.

KFC/Taco Bell put up a stingy defense against Wowie Abuel, while Melvin Capalad, Larry Palero, and Jomary Tumaquip made clutch baskets to force a deciding Game 3, which will be played tonight.

Dollar Days won Game 1 in overtime, 119-111, behind Abuel’s 34 points.

In Game 2, Abuel seemed headed for another explosive night, as his guns were blazing early, nailing two triples and scoring 11 points in the first half.

But Abuel was almost a no-show in the last three quarters, as Tumaquip, Quincy Johnson, and J.R. Concepcion alternately hounded him. Abuel went without a triple in the last three quarters, tallying only seven points in the second and third periods, and was scoreless in the fourth.

Besides neutralizing Abuel, KFC/Taco Bell also shuffled its players well and started strong to win Game 2.

In Game 1, KFC/Taco Bell fell behind by 15 in the first period, 32-17, but in Game 2, it kept pace with Dollar Days, leading by a hair after 10 minutes of play, 29-28. KFC/Taco Bell hung in there and was behind by only three at halftime, 48-51.

KFC/Taco Bell took the lead at the end of the third quarter, 77-71, with Bonbon Cadagat firing four triples in that canto.

Concepcion, who was off in Game 1, started for KFC/Taco Bell in the payoff period and scored successive baskets, giving his team its biggest lead, 82-75, with still eight minutes left in the game.

With Abuel hammered by KFC/Taco Bell defenders, Dollar Days found a go-to-guy in Bon Tamayo, who made two triples and two layups in a span of three minutes. Ivan De Vero, Kae Bernardo, and Bart Demapan joined the scoring spree and the game was tied for the last time at 97-all, going into the last two minutes of the match.

De Vero’s layup gave Dollar Days its last taste of the lead, 99-97, before Tumaquip canned a triple from the top of the key to grab the driver’s seat, 100-99.

Tamayo missed his fourth attempt from downtown, while Palero, who muffed several undergoal stabs in the first three quarters, hit a jumper near the foul line, increasing KFC/Taco Bell’s lead to three 102-99, with a minute left on the clock.

De Vero made another layup on the other end and Dollar Days had a chance to get the lead back after Sonny Lerio missed a layup. But Tamayo lost the ball to the right sideline, as he was headed for a fastbreak.

KFC/Taco Bell, which had Jose Tumaquip coaching on the sideline, called a timeout in the last 43 seconds of the game and when the play resumed, Capalad drilled a banked 10-footer to increase the lead, 104-101.

Cadagat then stole the ball from De Vero in transition, but the former opted to fire from downtown instead of milking the clock. Dollar Days got the ball back and went for a fastbreak, but Capalad stole the long pass, before he lost his footing and was called for a traveling violation.

Dollar Days regained the leather and sued for time in the last 13 seconds in the game. When the game resumed, Jay Diyco went up for a triple from the left corner and missed. Demapan grabbed the offensive rebound and gave the ball to Tamayo, who aimed for a triple, but was stripped off possession by Cadagat.

The ensuing plays saw Jun Pantaleon fouling Tumaquip, who missed his two free throws, and Bernardo struggling to get the rebound as time expired.

In the battle for third place, Inchcape escaped with a 91-89 win over Athlete’s Foot.

Inchcape 91 – Mendiola 25, Peredo 21, Mendoza 17, De Dios 16, Tobias 7, Olivos 2, Garcia 2, Buenabajo 1.

Athlete’s Foot 89 – N. Mateo 27, Arreza 19, Esdrelon 18, Joyner 17, Ong 8.

Scoring by quarters: 29-23, 55-43, 70-74, 91-89.

KFC/Taco Bell 104 – Cadagat 25, Lerio 20, Tumaquip 13, Johnson 9, Capalad 8, Concepcion 8, Norita 6, Palero 4, Jugos 4, Itaas 3.

Dollar Days 101 – Bernardo 23, Tamayo 18, Abuel 17, Demapan 17, De Vero 13, Pantaleon 7, Pangilinan 2, Diyco 2.

Scoring by quarter: 29-27, 48-51, 77-71, 104-101.