Oh My J ends Makalaro Lang’s streak

Oh My J pulled off an upset over league-leading Makalaro Lang, 58-47, during the lone game played in the 2015 Blue Haus/IT&E Inter-Color Basketball League last night at the Navy Hill court.

Oh My J’s Joseph Galulu is surrounded by three Makalaro Lang defenders under the basket during the second half of their game in the Blue Haus-IT&E caging last night at the Navy Hill court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Oh My J handed Makalaro Lang its first loss, but the latter remains on top of the nine-team field with its 3-1 record. Oh My J jumped to the second spot, tying Pasion De Amor, Hard Kulangot, and Wag Kang Pabebe.

Makalaro Lang failed to extend its win streak to four, as it faltered on its comeback bid late in thesecond half and went scoreless in the last 2:33 of the match. Makalaro lang was just behind by 4 points, 47-51, but elected to take hurried shots in the paint and a couple of 3-point attempts and missed all of them, allowing Oh My J to widen the gap.

Oh My J countered Makalaro Lang’s botched offensive sets with four free throws as Ferdie Tobias and Junar Guiab both went perfect from the foul line in the ensuing plays. Nate Mateo added a split after another Makalaro Lang’s missed triple, while Mark Asuhan scored off a drive to seal it for Oh My J, with less than a minute left in the game.

Mateo top-scored for Oh My J with his 19 points, including 4 straight points in the last five minutes of the match to bring order back to his team. Before Mateo’s successive points, Makalaro Lang managed to trim the deficit from 7 (37-44) to 3 (41-44) after John Jugos canned a triple and Errol Peredo went 1-for-1 from the 15-foot line.

After Peredo missed his second charity, Mateo took the rebound and drew a foul on the former. Mateo made only one free throw and later got a shooter’s bounce on his 3-point attempt after another miss from Makalaro Lang to give Oh My J more breathing space, 49-41.

Down by 8 with still three minutes left, Makalaro Lang stayed in the game off Peredo’s own 4 straight points, followed by a layup from Ernie Moises, while Oh My J scored only 2 points from Joseph Galulu’s drive. However, Moises’ field goal was Makalaro Lang’s last, as the team opted to gamble on outside shots, while Oh My J dribbled down the time and forced its foe to commit fouls.

Makalaro Lang absorbed its first loss in the league without its gunner Ivan Devero. With Devero out, Peredo emerged as the top-scorer for Makalaro Lang with his 12 points, while Moises added 10.

Guiab had 14 to support Mateo, while Robert Sanciangco, Asuhan, and Tobias combined for 19.

Oh My J 58 – Mateo 19, Guiab 14, Sanciangco 7, Asuhan 6, Tobias 6, Galulu 3, Hilario 2.

Makalaro Lang 47 – Peredo 12, Moises 10, Velasco 9, Jugos 6, Buenabajo 2, Culala 2, De Leon 2.

Scoring by halves: 23-23, 58-47.