Marianas Water, Mawati win playoff seats

  Only one playoff berth is left in Bracket A of the 2012 DLX/DL JOS Inter-Color Basketball League, following Marianas Water and Mawati’s separate wins last Monday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

Marianas Water outlasted LD Prime, 72-68, to finish the regular season with a 4-3 record. Mawati downed Docomo in a make-up game, 63-52, to improve to a 4-2 card and take the No. 3 spot in the team standings in Bracket A behind Team Pogi (5-1) and Irish Spring/DLX (3-1). Only the Top 4 teams will advance to the playoffs and Marianas Water is in fourth place and is likely to keep the spot unless Irish Spring/DLX dropped its three remaining matches. Irish Spring will need to win only one game to complete the playoff cast and eliminate Docomo (3-4) and AD 31 (3-4).

The Mawati-Docomo tiff was first played on May 28 and was rained out at the 1:54 mark with the former comfortably ahead, 58-46.

Mawati took control of the match after holding Docomo to single digits in each of the first three quarters. Docomo had 9 points each in the first and third period and had its worst production in the second canto, making only 5 markers.

In the other Bracket A match, Marianas Water eliminated LD Prime, which fell to a 1-5 record for the last place in the eight-team group.

Melvin Capalad led Marianas Water to the 4-point win, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

The match was tied after three period, 63-all, before Capalad took the cudgels for Marianas Water, scoring 4 straight points in the homestretch. Joseph Galulu and Amor Casabuena also contributed to the cause, combining for 7 in the fourth period.

LD Prime lost in the end as only Lawrence Rollon and Angelo Hernaez made more than two field goals in the fourth canto.

R-Lyn 103, San Roque 59

In Bracket B, R-Lyn’s kept its playoff hopes alive after whipping San Roque.

R-Lyn’s now has a 2-3 record, just one win behind Banahaw and Brabu Gualo Rai, which are tied for third and fourth place with similar 3-3 slates. KFC/Taco Bell and the Fastbreakers occupy the Top 2 spots and are assured of the playoff tickets.

San Roque, which finished the regular season with a 2-5 record, is out of the running, leaving R-Lyn’s, Banahaw, Brabu, and Sinigang (2-3) to battle for the two remaining playoff berths. Wushin completes the field and was the first one to be eliminated with its 0-6 card.

Allen Reyes had a breakout game for R-Lyn’s, as he sizzled for 30 points, while Aaron Wood added 24, as he had a feast in the paint against the depleted crew of San Roque.

First Game

Marianas Water 72 – Galulu 25, Capalad 20, Casabuena 10, Olivos 8, Pacheco 5, Vergara 2, Siriban 2.

LD Prime 68 – Rollon 25, Hernaez 19, Pena 6, Abaygar 6, Acosta 3, Perez 2, Espinosa 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-19, 37-35, 53-53, 72-68.

Second Game

R-Lyn’s 103 – Reyes 30, Wood 24, M. Puno 15, Capuyon Sr. 10, N. Puno 4, Buenabajo 4, Diaz 2, Echavez 1.

San Roque 59 – Fernando 19, Capuli 17, Salazar 13, Claveria 4, Odicta 1.

Scoring by quarters: 22-17, 43-31, 70-43, 103-59.

Make-up Game

Mawati 63 – Reyes 14, Serrano 10, Ibanes 8, Tenepere 8, Avila 7, Enriquez 6, Samonte 2 Gontar 2, Pena 2.

Docomo/Yuichiro 52 – Usi 11, Gomez 8, Tudela 8, Enriquez 6, Tengco 6, Bautista 2, Achas 2.

Scoring by quarters: 10-9, 22-15, 41-24, 63-52.

By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter