MDX, DYS arrange title duel

  MDX/Mariana Resort avoided the upset axe of SIP/Barney’s after pulling off a 71-64 victory in their semis game in the U20 division of the 2012 UFO Docomo Pacific Cup last Tuesday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

SIP stunned the favored MDX/Mariana Resort in the first period, leading by as much as 17 points, 22-5, but collapsed in the homestretch to kiss its finals bid goodbye. MDX/Mariana Resort took the second finals berth and will be facing unbeaten DYS/Bayani in the winner take-all finale this Sunday at 4pm. DYS/Bayani cruised to the finals after an 88-36 demolition of AON/Boholano in the first semis match.

While DYS/Bayani had no trouble making it to the finals, MDX/Mariana Resort had to sweat a lot before surviving SIP and advancing to the title match. MDX played catch-up after a sluggish first quarter and finally grabbed the lead, 59-57, off an incomplete 3-point play from Rainier Deleon Guerrero, 6:29 left on the clock.

SIP then quickly regained the upper hand off John Darag’s back-to-back treys, 63-59, but those were its last field goals, as the team was limited to one free throw, courtesy of Herbert Maranan, in the final 5:22 of the game.

MDX/Mariana Resort, on the other hand, got 6 of its next 8 points from Eugene Manglona, whose banked running jumper from the baseline gave his team cushion, 67-64, 58.2 seconds left in the game.

SIP needed only a quick 2 to stay in the game, but Darag opted for a triple and airballed it. Adrian Palacios then hit a basket from the baseline, upping MDX’s lead to 5, 69-64, while SIP missed two more 3-point attempts in the ensuing play and was forced to give up fouls to stop the clock.

After SIP was called for its fifth team foul in the last 8 seconds, Palacios canned a pair of charities to seal the come-from-behind win.

It was a sorry loss for SIP, which caught MDX/Mariana Resort flatfooted in the opening two minutes, leading at 8-0 after Maranan and Darag drained one triple each and Ralph Francisco escaped with a fastbreak layup.

MDX continued to get lost in the first period and was held to 5 points in the first six minutes of the game before recovering in the closing minutes to move within 12, 16-28. MDX coach Peter Crisostomo shuffled his players too much in the first period that they could not get into their rhythm, while SIP was on a zone, especially from downtown. SIP hit five triples, four of them came from Darag.

Darag was then neutralized in the second period and was held scoreless and his coldness rubbed off his teammates, as the entire SIP crew was held to 8 points. Crisostomo still had his frequent players rotation in the second frame before sticking with Kevin De Leon, Manglona, Melvin Cadiang, Ezra Caro, and Frank Mettao in the last four minutes. De Leon went on to score 8 of MDX’s last 10 points to cut the lead to 5 at the break, 31-36.

MDX tried to overhaul SIP’s lead in the third period, but Sheen Metran and Maranan were there to keep the boat from shrinking, scoring 6 straight points in the closing minutes and nailing a triple, respectively. Metran and Maranan stepped up for Darag, who was scoreless anew in the third canto.

Darag momentarily regained his shooting touch midway in the fourth canto, but MDX was already catching up and in the end Darag and Maranan’s baskets were not enough to save SIP from a monumental collapse.

Maranan and Darag were the only two SIP players who scored in the fourth canto, combining for 9 markers. In contrast, MDX drew baskets from Cadiang, Manglona, Deleon Guerrero, De Leon, and Palacios. Manglona paced MDX with his 18 points, while De Leon and Cadiang added 14 and 12, respectively. Darag had 18 markers for SIP.

In the first semis match, DYS/Bayani needed only a 21-8 start to break the game wide open and eliminate AON/Boholano.

DYS coasted to the semis win after limiting AON to no more than 8 points in three of the four quarters in the game. AON was held to another 8-point output in the second period to fall behind, 16-40, before having its best offensive showing in the third, nailing 16 points. Still DYS was comfortably ahead at the end of the third, 60-32, and took a 52-point win after AON scored only four points in the fourth canto.

First Game

DYS/Bayani 88 – Salem 14, Mariano 12, Aranda 12, Alegre 10, Mizer 7, De Guzman 7, Tudela 6, Aguilar 2.

AON/Boholano 36 – Capuyon 9, De Leon 8, Mendoza 6, Javier 6, Yap 5, Villagomez 2.

Scoring by quarters: 21-8, 40-16, 60-32, 88-36.

Second Game

MDX/Marianas Resort 71 – Manglona 18, De Leon 14, Cadiang 12, Palacios 6, Deleon Guerrero 6, Caro 4, Ecalnea 4, Del Rosario 3, Ano 2.

SIP/Barney’s 64 – Darag 16, Francisco 13, Metran 12, Maranan 11, Dela Rosa 3, Sacramento 2, Vertudez 2, Moran 2, Devero 2.

Scoring by quarters: 16-28, 31-36, 49-55, 71-64.

By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter