VisMinda/Satbahi edges Bayani/Mobil

VisMinda/Satbahi snapped its two-game losing skid, following a thrilling 81-78 victory over Bayani/Mobil in the UFO Inter-Organization Basketball Friendship League 2011 Bud Cup on Thursday night at the TSL Sports Complex.

Manolo Manalo and Glenn Aquino hit clutch baskets in the closing seconds of the seesaw battle to help VisMinda regain its form and take its fourth win in six games. Mobil fell to a 3-2 record, absorbing its second straight loss.

Manalo finished with only six points, but made four of them in the crucial stage of the match. His putback off two VisMinda misses allowed Satbahi to grab the driver seat, 77-76, with 1:48 left on the clock.

Mobil lost the lead it had since the eighth minute mark of the third quarter when Marlon Sison picked Jun Estolas’ pocket near midcourt. Sison went on to feed Manalo, who muffed his first attempt. Marlon De Dios took the offensive board, but also faltered on his shot. Fortunately for Satbahi, Manalo collared another offensive board and this time made the basket.

Mobil regained the lead, 78-77, on its third offensive attempt with Ron Gamboa hitting a baseline jumper off an assist from Estolas, with 34.7 seconds to go in the match. Gyles Ruluked and Estolas earlier missed on their shots, but the former took the long rebound and found Gamboa on the baseline for the short jumper.

VisMinda sued for time and when game resumed, Manalo found himself on the right place at the right time for an undergoal stab. The play started with Rolly Paraiso driving toward the baseline and spinning, but after turning he found himself too deep under the basket with a Mobil player defending him well. Paraiso then had the presence of mind to hand off the leather to Manalo, who was loitering at the paint and canned his second straight basket for VisMinda’s 79-78 advantage.

With 23 seconds left in the game, Mobil called timeout to map out a play, which eventually didn’t work as Estolas missed on his drive against two VisMinda defenders. Aquino then took the rebound and drew a foul from Gil Gapor. Aquino calmly sank the pair of free throws, upping VisMinda’s lead to three, 81-78, with 14.9 seconds remaining in the match.

Mobil used its last timeout and coach Marvin Deocares instructed his players to attempt from downtown to send the game into overtime. However, VisMinda defenders did a good job guarding Mobil’s shooter to keep the lead and the win. Paraiso fought off a screen for Estolas from the right key, forcing the Mobil guard to swing the ball to Gamboa. Gamboa, who hit three triples in the third period and one in the fourth, was also well covered and opted to kick the ball out to Ruluked. De Dios slightly deflected the pass, but Gamboa regained the loose ball and decided to throw it to Gapor on the baseline instead of pulling up for a shot. Gapor failed to handle the feed and the ball went out of the baseline, allowing VisMinda to seal the win as only .09 of a second was left in the match.

VisMinda took the victory despite a lethargic first quarter, which ended with Mobil on top, 22-13. Mobil made it a 24-13 count in the opening minute of second canto, before Aquino, De Dios, and Paraiso teamed up in VisMinda’s 29-10 windup to grab the driver’s seat at the break, 42-34.

Mobil, which was held to three field goals in the second canto, started the third with a 10-0 blast to regain the lead, which it kept after three quarters, 62-57. Gamboa anchored Mobil’s attack in the third quarter, scoring 11 points off three treys.

Gamboa started the fourth with another triple and Gapor nailed a layup for Mobil’s double-digit lead, 67-57. However, Mobil folded up in the end, while VisMinda found the right combination in the homestretch to complete the comeback.

Paraiso top-scored for VisMnda with 17, while four other teammates also finished in double figures. Gamboa led all scores with 24, while Gapor added 10 and was only the second Mobil player to score in double digits. Estolas, who averaged 25.75 points in their first four games, was held to nine markers, five of them coming from the foul line, while Ruluked had only five, as he had limited touches in the second half.

VisMinda/Satbahi 81 – Paraiso 17, Mangali 12, Barbo 12, De Dios 11, Aquino Santos 7, Manalo 6, Inos 3, Sison 3.

Bayani/Mobil 78 – Gamboa 24, Gapor 10, Estolas 9, De Guzman 8, Lizama 7, Ruluked 5, Fernando 5, Moises 5, Factor 2.

Scoring by quarters: 13-22, 42-34, 57-62, 81-78.