Green Eagles nab first finals berth

GREEN CdeO Eagles withstood a fierce comeback by Team D and a monstrous night by Marvin Neri to eke out a nail-biting 73-72 win on Tuesday and advance in the championship round of the 2012 Auto Planet Inter-Color basketball tournament here at Barangay 24’s covered court.

The unstoppable Neri, the club’s local version of actor John Lloyd Cruz, wrecked havoc on the Eagles’ defense all-night long with his array of baskets off the drive. But a balanced Green efforts on both ends of the floor and shotmaker Elvis Pahilan’s timely return from a bad fall in the fourth and final quarter was enough for a cushion to turn back Team D’s mighty challenge.

“Lisod gyod pugngan si Kuya John Lloyd. Epektibo kaayo iyang mga slow motion nga atake bisan ga-triple na ang depensa,” said Green’s team playing manager Dondon Allorin whose couple of three-pointers off Pahilan’s pin-point assists were factors in negating Team D’s 9-point lead in the first quarter.

Ulysses Romulo, whose unorthodox “baseball passing” in manning the point was put in check by Neri and company, also converted crucial baskets from outside to help offset Green’s poor performance in the shaded lanes.

“Babawi na lang siguro sa championship. Parang wala sa kondisyon,” said veteran slotman Agapito Mercado whose own streak of brilliant show in the elimination round apparently saw an end in the breathtaking crossover matches.

The twice-to-beat Team C, bannered by the guard tandem of Totsie Daitol and Andy Sacabin, was still battling with the heavily-undermanned Team E dribblers who took the floor in the nightcap without the reliable center-forward “Big Boy” Quirante.