Pelicans nip Gwap Gang in MDX finale

The Pelicans? Leo Galarse goes up for a reverse layup against Gwap Gang?s Erick Dela Rosa during the overtime of their title game in the MDX caging last Saturday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

The Pelicans outlasted Gwap Gang in overtime, 69-68, to bag the championship in the 2014 MDX Amateur Radio Club Basketball League last Saturday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.
A crucial triple from Don Brennan and two defensive stops from Leo Galarse and Jason Bahillo helped the Pelicans escape Gwap Gang in the extra five minutes of the winner-take-all finale.

Brennan’s triple from the top of the key broke the last deadlock, 69-66, with 50.8 seconds left in overtime. Mike Ito then converted a drive from the left baseline to cut the lead to 1 and Gwap Gang had a chance to grab the lead after the Pelicans turned the ball over in the ensuing play, but Rodney Sacramento took a hurried triple and missed.

Hanging on to a 1-point lead with 37.8 seconds remaining in the game, the Pelicans’ Edwin Camacho ran down the clock a bit before spotting the cutting Wens Namelo from the left wing. Namelo muffed the shot, but was fouled. However he missed both charities and Gwap Gang was left with enough time (17.9 second) to work out a play after Shane Deleon Guerrero took the defensive rebound.

Gwang Gang managed to bring the ball to their frontcourt, but Lester Vertudez was trapped by Galarse at the right baseline near the scorer’s table and was caught stepping on the line. The Pelicans regained possession with 11 seconds left and Sacramento quickly committed a duty foul on Galarse, who also went 0-for-2 from the stripe.

Gwap Gang collared another rebound after Galarse’s second miss and Deleon Guerrero drove strong to the basket from the right key, but the ball rimmed out. He got the rebound and attempted a putback, but was blocked by Bahillo as time expired, handing the Pelicans the close win and the championship.

Brennan top-scored in the finale with his 22 points. His split free throw tied the match in the fourth quarter, 62-all, and both teams had a chance to win the finals in regulation, but failed to cash in on their final attempts.

Bahillo pulled up for a running jumper in the last 10 seconds of the fourth canto, but his shot was too strong and the ball rolled out of the baseline. Gwap Gang sued for time with 3.9 second left and when the game resumed, Vertudez made the inbound pass to Sacramento, who missed a long jumper from the left corner. Sacramento earlier committed a palming violation in the last 28.6 seconds of regulation, returning possession to the Pelicans and paving the way for Bahillo’s shot.

Despite failing to win the finals in regulation, the Pelicans did a great comeback job, as they recovered from a 54-60 deficit in the last three minutes of the fourth period. They turned Gwap Gangs’ turnovers to points to send the title match into extra five minutes. In overtime, Galarse scored 4 straight markers to give the Pelicans’ distance, but Gwap Gang countered with two straight field goals off Erick Dela Rosa’s undergoal stab and Vertudez’s short jumper for the last deadlock. Brennan ended the last tie when he was momentarily left open from the top key for the crucial triple and his team hung in there against the erratic Gwap Gang, who played the last 1:30 of the fourth quarter and entire overtime without the fouled out Kelvin Fitial.

Pelicans 69 – Brennan 22, Galarse 20, Namelo 8, Camacho 7, Babauta 4, Ambalan 2, Bahillo 2, Yamada 1.
Gwap Gang 68 – Vertudez 20, Diaz 11, Dela Rosa 9, Darag 7, Ito 6, Fitial 5, Sacramento 2.
Scoring by quarters: 21-16, 36-34, 52-47, 62-62.