Red Rice takes last semis seat

Red Rice claimed the last semis slot in the 2015 Blue Haus/IT&E Inter-Color Basketball League following its 84-77 playoff win over Oh My J last Sunday at the Navy Hill Basketball Court.

Red Rice’s Angelo Fernando takes off for a bank shot ahead of Oh My J defenders Nate Mateo, left, and Ronald Hilario during their game in the elimination round of the Blue Haus-IT&E caging at the Navy Hill court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

With the victory, Red Rice arranged a Final For showdown with Pasion De Amor this Sunday with the former hoping to avenge its 89-90 sorry loss to the latter in the elimination round and make it to the one-game finale. The winner of the Red Rice-Pasion De Amor duel will challenge the victor in the Makalaro Lang-Mamba tiff in the Oct. 24 championship game. Makalaro Lang and Mamba will fight for the first finals berth this Saturday.

Red Rice leaned on the solid games of Darwin Barbo and Angelo Fernando and the unexpected contribution of Joel Saplan to eliminate Oh My J. Barbo exploded for 28 points—his biggest output so far in the inaugural league—while Fernando added 18. Saplan also finished in twin digits with 15, making most of his baskets in the first half when Red Rice was still without Michael Cabanas.

Cabanas missed the entire first half of the match, but fortunately for Red Rice, Saplan was on target in the early goings of the game, nailing 7 points to help his squad force a standoff at the end of first canto, 19-all. Jun Marilla also stepped up in the opening frame, knocking in Red Rice’s first two baskets and adding one more late in that quarter.

In the second period, Red Rice managed to gain some cushion, 44-36, behind the combined efforts of Fernando and Barbo, who scored 10 and 9 points, respectively. Oh My J trailed as it was held to six field goals in the second frame with only Nate Mateo consistently making his shots. Junar Guiab, who finished the first quarter with 7 markers, was limited to 2 points off two free throws.

Red Rice remained at the driver’s seat in the third canto, 64-56, as Barbo and Fernando continued to team up and Cabanas finally reported for the playoff match, contributing quickly with his 5 straight points early in that period. The trio scored all but one of Red Rice’s baskets in the third, while only Mateo and Guiab canned more than one field goal for Oh My J.

Barbo kept going in the final canto, adding 9 more markers, to maintain Red Rice’s safe distance and towed his team to the semis-seat clinching win.

Red Rice 84 – Barbo 28, Fernando 18, Saplan 15, Cabanas 7, Marilla 6, Anasan 6, Chan 4.

Oh My J 77 – Mateo 22, Guiab 19, Galulu 10, Sanciangco 6, Sablan 4, Enriquez 4, Asuhan 4, Tobias 3, Manangan 3, Hilario 2.

Scoring by quarters: 19-19, 44-36, 64-56, 84-77.