Cavite seals last playoff seat

Cavite/Andok’s caught the last bus to the playoff round of the UFO Inter-Organization Basketball Friendship League 2011 Bud Cup after pulling off a come-from-behind win over MDX/Blue Haus, 98-91, on Thursday night at the TSL Sports Complex.

Cavite/Andok’s finished the round-robin regular season with a 2-5 record, while MDX/Blue Haus closed out its campaign without a single win in seven games. Cavite/Andok’s placed seventh in the nine-team field, one win ahead of NMBA/Mixed Blood, which holds a 1-5 record and will face Ali’i Konflikt in its last game tomorrow. A win over Ali’i Konflikt will put NMBA in a tie with Cavite, but the latter has the edge in the deadlock, having beaten the former in their lone meeting on Aug. 20, 101-79.

MDX failed to barge in the win column in his last game after losing control of the match in the second half. MDX led by as much as 13 points in the second period and hung on to a 51-44 halftime cushion before Freddie Pelisamen, Tim Wesley, and Joy Dayrit bailed Cavite out of trouble in the third canto.

Wesley, who was held to only two field goals in the first half, scored nine markers in the third period, with six of them coming in the closing minutes of that quarter, which ended with Cavite grabbing the lead, 70-66. Dayrit also helped in the third-period recovering, firing two triples and scoring eight points, while Pelisamen chipped in seven.

Cavite managed to keep its distance against MDX in the final canto and this time it was Fando Muleta’s turn to make important baskets for Andok’s. The Cavite point guard scored seven of his nine markers in the final canto. Dayrit, Wesley, and Pelisamen continued to contribute on the team’s cause in the fourth period, combining for 15 of Cavite’s 28 points.

Pelisamen top-scored for Cavite with 30 points and connected on six triples, while Wesley and Dayrit finished with 17 and 14, respectively. Jon Artates and Mike Olaitiman also had double figures, nailing 10 apiece.

Alex Lauron led MDX with his 26 markers, but was held to only one field goal in the fourth period. Zack Babauta logged 15, making nine of them from downtown in the fourth canto.
[B] Cavite/Andok’s 98[/B] – Pelisamen 30, Wesley 17, Dayrit 14, Olaitiman 10, Artates 10, Muleta 9, Montano 2.