DLX/Irish Spring, Brabu enter playoffs

  DLX/Irish Spring and Brabu notched playoff berths in the 2012 DLX/DL JOS Inter-Color Basketball League after recording separate wins last Wednesday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

DLX/Irish Spring, which earlier dropped a make-up game against Bracket A top finisher Team Pogi (6-1), 63-71, got its needed win over 8 Division on the same night, cruising to a 97-58 victory in the last game. DLX Irish Spring now has a 4-2 record to tie Mawati for second to third place in the team standings. Mawati is likely to finish second, as it led DLX by 20 points in their rained-out match last month. Marianas Water (4-3) completes the playoff cast in Bracket A. AD-31 (3-4), Docomo (3-4), 8 Division (1-5), and LD Prime (1-5) are eliminated.

In Bracket B, Brabu Gualo Rai joins KFC/Taco Bell (6-1), the Fastbreakers (6-1), Banahaw (3-3) to the next round, following a 69-60 triumph against Sinigang in the first game of a triple-header.

Brabu finished the round-robin elimination with a 4-3 record, while Sinigang fell to a 2-4 mark, joining San Roque (2-5), R-Lyn’s (2-3), and Wushin (0-5) in the showers.

Brabu secured the fourth playoff berth after thwarting Sinigang’s late rally. Brabu threatened to pull away midway in the fourth, 62-46, but Sinigang launched a 10-0 run to move within 6 points, 56-62, with still three minutes left on the clock.

Sinigang had a chance to cut the deficit further, as Brabu failed to buy a basket, however the former either turned the ball over or missed its targets in its next four possessions.

After their botched offensive sets, Sinigang committed defensive lapses, leaving Nelson Samson and Jun Galzote in the paint for back-to-back easy baskets. Prince Factor answered with his own two straight baskets, but Sinigang ran out of time in the end, while J.P. Jose sealed the win at the foul line, going 2-for-4.

Ten minutes after Brabu saved a playoff seat, DLX/Irish Spring tried to follow suit, resuming its rained-out match over Team Pogi. The game was first played last Saturday with Team Pogi ahead, 47-46, at the 3:01 mark of the third period.

DLX outgunned Team Pogi at the resumption of the match to grab the lead at the end of the third, 52-49. However, Team Pogi outgunned DLX in the first six minutes of the fourth canto, 11-2, and the former then hit back-to-back treys to taste its biggest lead, 66-55, going into the final three minutes of the game.

Brian Chan paced Team Pogi with his 21 points, while Jeff Bahillo chipped in 20.

Ron Hernandez led DLX/Irish Spring with his 13 markers and also scored in double figured (10) in their second game of the night against 8 Division.

Hernandez’s four other teammates also tallied twin digits in their demolition of 8 Division. Rick Brien led all scorers with his 17 points, 9 of them came from downtown, Bernard Samson added 14, Art Trajano nailed 11, and J.R. Montano posted 10.

Brien drained two straight triples in the closing minutes of the opening canto to lift DLX to an early double-digit lead, 23-10. DLX then held 8 Division to another 10-point out in the second canto to open a 49-20 halftime lead.

First Game

Brabu Gualo Rai 69 – Samson 14, Mallari 12, Dayrit 12, Manalon 8, Jose 8, Mamaril 4, Galzone 4.

Sinigang 60 – Moran 19, Factor 19, Ano 7, Aguilar 6, Gotengco 3, Jeri. Habijan 3, Macahito 2.

Scoring by quarters: 18-15, 34-26, 54-42, 69-60.

Second Game (Make-up)

Team Pogi 71-Chan 21, Ja. Bahillo 20, Je. Bahillo 12, Lansang 11, Sula 5.

DLX/Irish Spring 63 – Hernandez 13, Trajano 12, J. Montano 10, Fernandez 10, B. Bernardo 8, Garcia 2, Leong 2, Samson 2, Hilario 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-20, 34-34, 49-52, 71-63.

Third Game

DLX/Irish Spring 97 – Brien 17, Samson 14, Trajano 11, Hernandez 10, J. Montano 10, Cordero 7, Fernandez 7, Hilario 5, Leong 4, Domingo 3.

8 Division 58 – Jacob 19, Rivera 16, Detera 6, Allano 5, Alejandro 4, Hernandez 2, Miguel 2.

Scoring by quarters: 23-10, 49-20, 74-32, 97-58.

By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter