Save More ousts Armatech

Save More/MIFICPA’s Sid Quan, right, drives against Armatech/MDX Radio Club’s Jun Alipio Jr. during the third quarter of their game in the UFO caging last Tuesday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Save More/MIFICPA eliminated Armatech/MDX Radio Club after prevailing in the final regular season game in the 2016 UFO/IT&E Inter-Organizational Basketball League, 80-75, last Tuesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Save More’s victory also gave Cavite a free pass to the first round of the playoffs. Save More finished the round-robin elimination with a 4-4 record to take the No. 5 spot in the team standings and arrange a knockout game against No. 4 Stephen’s Pawnshop. Cavite and Armatech had similar 3-5 marks, but the former won the tiebreak and the last ticket to the playoffs due to the win-over-the-other rule. Cavite defeated Armatech in their Nov. 17 meeting, 82-67. Had Armatech downed Save More, Cavite would have gotten the boot in the nine-team field, joining PC Bargain/Visminda and Maplas/Akap Pinoy to an early vacation.

Armatech had a chance to steal the important win from Save More when the former moved within 4, 67-71, going into the last four minutes of the match. However, Armatech, which fell behind by as much as 15 points in the first half, 42-27, missed several free throws to kiss its playoff bid goodbye. Bruce Berline failed to hit his bonus charity after cutting the deficit to 4, and muffed two more free throws in the ensuing play.

After Berline’s booboos from the foul line, Armatech got a couple of offensive boards and returned to the stripe, but Jun Alipio Jr. also went 0-for-2, while Martin Moreno had a split before going 2-for-2 on his next two attempts.
Save More, on the other hand, knocked in key baskets down the stretch to preserve its lead and the win.

Sid Quan canned a jumper to keep Save More’s safe distance, 76-72, while Elgene Mangali went for a coast-to-coast layup after Hae Jun Park missed an open point-blanked shot that could have moved Armatech within a point. Mangali’s shot gave Save More a 5-point cushion, 78-73, with 30 seconds left on the clock, but Armatech refused to give up as Alipio went for a quick 2 to bring the deficit down to one possession, 75-78.

Save More sued for time with 26 seconds left and when the game resumed, it moved the ball so well that Quan found Robert Guiang open for a shot inside the paint. Armatech was lost in the closing seconds of the match, as it could not decide whether to give up a foul to stop the clock or play honest defense with just two seconds separating the game clock and the shot clock.

Guiang unloaded the dagger with nine seconds remaining in the game and with no timeout left, Armatech was forced to rush things and failed to square off for a shot as time expired.

Quan led Save More’s hard-earned win after scoring 22 points, while Mangali chipped in 17. Chris Lilles and Andrew Ashburn also finished in twin digits with 13 and 12, respectively. Alipio paced Armatech with his 21 markers.

Meanwhile, in the penultimate game of the regular season, 8th Division/MAFEA downed Stephen’s Pawnshop, 90-80.

8th Division ended up the elimination at third place with its 5-3 record and will face Cavite in the win-or-go-home match tonight. Stephen’s Pawnshop dropped to a 4-4 record.

Jun Tabora and Rodney Catalla were on target in 8th Division’s last game of the regular season as they combined for more than half of the team’s total points. Tabora had 25 markers, while Catalla contributed 21.

The winners of tonight’s matches in the first round of the playoffs will join early qualifiers Ali’i Blue Haus (8-0) and Best Sunshine International-Blue Eagle (7-1) in the semifinals.

First game at 6:30pm will have Stephen’s Pawnshop going up against Save More. The 8pm second game will then feature 8th Division vs Cavite.

First Game
8th Division 90 – J. Tabora 25, Catalla 21, Fitial 13, Lauron 12, Tenorio 7, D. Tabora 4, Zapata 2, Itibus 2.
Stephen’s Pawnshop 80 – Arellano 20, Espinosa 12, De Guzman 12, Dayrit 9, Abuy 9, Aranda 8, Van Buren 8.
Scoring by quarters: 19-17, 42-38, 65-58, 90-80.

Second Game
Save More 80 – Quan 22, Mangali 17, Lilles 13, Ashburn 12, Guiang 6, Backe 4, Sison 3.
Armatech 75 – Alipio 21, Montano 15, Asuhan 10, Berline 8, Moreno 7, J. Malasarte 4, Park 2, B. Malasarte 2, Tolosa 2.
Scoring by quarters: 18-16, 42-29, 60-53, 80-75.