Gigolos, MDX nip foes in Navy Hill

Garapan Gigolos and MDX Armatech boosted their finals bid in the Masters division of the 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League after pulling of similar close wins last Saturday at the Garapan Basketball Court.

Gigolos played against Jaypers in the curtain raiser and eked out a 66-64 victory, while MDX Armatech met Ebisuya in the second match and escaped with an 85-84 win. MDX and Gigolos now join pennant champion C.K. Legends to the next round with the teams to win two games advancing to the finals.

Melvin Villarin missed easy shots all night, but delivered in crunch time, making the game-winning free throws.

With four seconds left in the game, Villarin drove to the middle and drew a foul from William Opone. Villarin sank both charities and with one second left on the clock, the second-seeded Jaypers failed to put up a decent shot.

Gigolos were off to a slow start and were behind at the end of the first quarter, 7-14. Adonis Macoto and Edel Carino brought Gigolos back in the game in second quarter, combining for 16 of the team’s 25 points.

Gigolos came out sluggish at the beginning of the second half, nailing only 10 points in the third, which ended with Jaypers ahead by nine, 42-51.

Abuy, who was held to three points in the first three quarters, made two treys in the fourth and the rest of Gigolos teamed up in grabbing the lead, 64-59, with less than two minutes left in the payoff canto.

Opone scored five straight points on a triple and two free throws to tie the game before committing a costly foul that sent Villarin to the stripe for the game-winning charities.

In the second game, Ian Castro made a free throw to force an overtime, while Joseph Galulu made a crucial steal to lift MDX past Ebisuya.

Ebisuya was ahead, 71-70, when Castro pulled up for a jumper and drew a foul from Robert Tamondong as time expired. Castro canned the first free throw, but missed the second one, failing to give MDX an outright win.

MDX had a one-point lead, 85-84, with eight seconds left in overtime, when Galulu picked the pocket of Allan Lazaga and wasted the clock to preserve the win.
[B] First Game

Garapan 66 [/B]– Carino 14, Villarin 11, Macoto 10, Abuy 10, Dela Torre 8, Domingo 8, Galsote 7.

[B]Jaypers 64[/B] – Opone 24, Tobias 11, Peleno 10, Valdez 7, Villasan 6, Cultura 4, David 2.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 14-7, 32-34, 42-51, 66-64.

[B]Second Game

MDX 85[/B] – Martin 14, Samson 12, Montano 11, Castro 10, Malasarte 7, Canedo 7, Galulu 6, Sublemente 2, Arenas 2.

[B]Ebisuya 84[/B] – Viola 20, Santos 16, Sabino 15, Tamondong 10, Olivos 6, Jacob 4, Lazaga 2, Calma 1.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 14-16, 27-36, 49-54, 71-all, 85-84.