Crystal Pure outlasts Shirley’s in OT

  Crystal Pure/Mekeni Abe notched its first win in the 2nd Domino Lux International Fraternity/Miller Lite Basketball Invitational Friendship League after eking out a 68-63 overtime victory over Shirley’s Coffee Shop Wednesday night at the Gualo Rai Basketbal Court.

It was another sorry loss for Shirley’s (0-3), as it led by as much as 17 in the third quarter only to collapse in the fourth and fell short in the extension period. Shirley’s went 2-for-6 from the foul line in overtime and was held to two field goals, allowing Crystal Pure to steal the win. Crystal Pure nailed three field goals and was 3-for-4 from the stripe.

Both teams had a chance to win the game in regulation, but missed important shots down the stretch. Sonny Lerio took three ill-advised shots from downtown in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and missed all, while Bruce Berline and Marvin Rabauliman also faltered in their attempts in the closing seconds of the regulation.

Crystal Pure was protecting a precarious two-point lead, 59-57, off Rex Yabut’s coast-to-coast layup, going into the last 1:26 left in the fourth when Lerio failed to increase the lead, taking and missing back-to-back triples.

Then Berline tied the game off a putback from a Rabauliman missed drive and Crystal Pure had 29 seconds left to win the game. However, instead of going for a high percentage shot with a lot of time left, Lerio for the third time pulled up for a triple and faltered anew. Berline controlled the rebound and then drove to the basket, but his banked shot was way too strong. Rabauliman went for the follow-up, but missed two as time expired, sending the game in overtime.

Kae Bernardo scored Crystal Pure’s first three points in the extra canto, while Lerio made up for his earlier booboos, canning two important free throws that sealed their come-from-behind win. Shirley’s failed to save a win in overtime, as it was held to only one field goal in the first four minutes of extension.

Shirley’s had its biggest lead at the 46-29 tally after a J.R. Barrios triple, with over three minutes left in the third. Shirley’s the finished the third period and started the first 4:30 of the fourth without Rabauliman, who had a slight injury on his right thigh after colliding against Crystal Pure defenders. Shirley’s also lost Tony Diaz in the second half due to an injury late in the second period.

Rabauliman and Diaz’s absence and Berline’s foul trouble allowed Bernardo and company to come back and eventually steal the win in overtime.

Blue Haus 83, SCS 79

In the curtain-raiser, Blue Haus (2-1) finally completed a game after two straight rained-out matches.

The defending champion got a big lift from Brendon Talania, Elmer Esdrelon, and Buds Camacho to hand SCS Heavy Equipment its first loss after four games. The Blue Haus trio combined for 57 points with Talania making seven of his game-high 21 points in the fourth to keep their team in the lead. Camacho added 19, seven of them came in the third period where Blue Haus took the lead, 67-61, after a deadlock at the break, 44-44. Esdrelon finished with 17 and five of them came at crunch time.

Jack Lizama paced SCS with 17, but was held to only a field goal in the fourth period.

First Game

Blue Haus 83 – Talania 21, Camacho 19, Esdrelon 17, Itaas 8, Guiab 8, Tumaquip 4, Fernandez 2.

SCS 79 – Lizama 17, Tamayo 16, Aquino 15, Galarse 12, Pantaleon 11, Mina 3, Tobias 3, Guiang 3.

Scoring by quarters: 15-19, 44-44, 67-61, 83-79.

Second Game

Crystal Pure/Mekeni 68 – Bernardo 18, Yabut 12, Miranda 11, Mendoza 8, Lerio 7, Cruz 6, Johnson 2.

Shirley’s Coffee Shop 63 – Rabauliman 16, Berline 13, Norita 11, Barrios 7, Diaz 6, Lang 5, Tomokane 4, Petersberg 1.

Scoring by quarters: 12-14, 36-47, 37-51, 59-59, 68-63.