NMSA nails first finals berth; Customs survives

The Department of Public Safety‘s Edwin Camacho, center, tries to keep the ball away from Customs’ Nokki Saralu, right, during their playoff game in the 2014 ITE&E-DYS Inter-government Basketball League last Monday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Jon Perez)

NMSA edged top seed Feds, 68-67, in the first game last Monday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium and is now waiting for its finals opponent, while Customs held off Department of Public Safety’s comeback bid to complete a 61-57 win and arrange a knockout match with the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs at 6:30pm tonight.

NMSA used a balanced scoring in beating the Feds and avenging the 87-56 humbling it received to the same team in the elimination round last month with eight players submitting 3 points or more in their second outing with the latter.

It was a close game right from the opening tip with neither team leading by 5 points or more and NMSA keeping in check the Feds’ usually explosive offense.

The Feds, which regularly breaks away early by burying its opponents with an avalanche of points, was held to a season-low 8 markers with Joe Esteves nailing 5 in the opening canto.

NMSA’s 4-point lead after three quarters, 50-46, was already a luxury as the opposing teams exchanged scoring spurts, making the fight for the first finals seat a seesaw battle.

Peter Camacho buried timely baskets to lead NMSA’s fourth quarter push as he scored 7 to help his team seal the win. Camacho finished with 13 markers and 8 rebounds, while Preston Basa paced NMSA’s scoring with 18 and Elias Rangamar added 10.

Leo Apelo scored the bulk of the Feds’ points with 28 to go with his 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Juan Camacho tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists while Ken McCain, who only scored 5 markers, collected a game-high 17 boards.

In the second game, Customs nearly squandered a 12-point fourth quarter lead before escaping with a thrilling 61-57 triumph over DPS.

A Leo Galarse 3-pointer sparked Customs’ 9-0 run and turned a still manageable 44-41 lead to a 12-point spread with four minutes gone in the final period.

DPS, however, went on a closing 13-8 exchange to threaten at 54-61 with 1:06 left in the game.

Customs escaped with the win as DPS fired blanks in the final one minute before Trevor Ogumoro nailed 3-pointer with 8 seconds to go for the final tally.

Galarse led Customs with 19 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Kelvin Fitial added 11 markers and 9 boards. David Camacho scored 10 and had 8 caroms.

No DPS player reached double digits with Ogumoro ending up with 9 and Maverick Saures getting 8. Edwin Camacho had 7 points, while Daniel Joab, Roy Kaipat, Paul Manglona and James Pua made 6 markers each. Joe Saures and Rudy Sablan scored 5 and 4, respectively.

First Game
NMSA 68–Basa 18, P. Camacho 13, Rangamar 10, Tudela 9, Caro 8, Winkfield 4, Babauta 3, Sablan 3.

Feds 67–Apelo 28, Camacho 16, Gamboa 7, Esteves 5, McCane 5, Deleon Guerrero 4, Park 2.

Scoring by quarters: 14-8, 30-31, 50-46, 68-67.

Second Game
Customs 61–Galarse 19, Fitial 11, Camacho 10, Cepeda 6, Reyes 5, Saralu 5, Pangelinan 4, Teregeyo 1.

DPS 57–Ogumoro 9, M. Saures 8, Camacho 7, Joab 6, Kaipat 6, Manglona 6, Pua 6, J. Saures 5, Sablan 4.

Scoring by quarters: 21-10, 30-25, 44-41, 61-57. (Jon Perez)