Thursday, January 25, 2007 BCBC halts Philex Execs for 3rd title
BCBC-Abanao took a decisive run early in the payoff period to eke out a hard earned 44-39 victory against Philex Executives.
After squandering a nine-point lead at the start of the third quarter, Jordan Tablac and Roldan Alvarado provided the much-needed firepower to finally take control of the ball game, which saw nine lead changes.
BCBC-Abanao got off to a blazing start, slowed down in the third quarter but regained their bearing in the final canto, whipping the Philex Executives to seal their third championship in the Philex Annual Invitation for the third consecutive year.
BCBC-Abanao stepped up intensity in the first half and showed great will in erecting a five-point lead, 17-22, at halftime.
Ten BCBC players, led by Tablac with 16 points with Doddie Mendillo, and Bobby Bio adding eight points apiece, contributed in a well-balanced attack early on that had them dominating the Realtors in the first 24 minutes of play.
But the Executives waged a determined fight back in the third, getting back in the heat of the battle and even regaining the lead, 31-28.
The BCBC regained a comfortable margin late in the payoff period, 44-39, on a 16-7 roll by Tablac, Alvarado, Mendillo, Bio, JV Nicholas and Darius Bajo.
"We're certainly missing some players who were not able to come because of their jobs. But we have guys whom we did not have before and they're playing well for us now. Jordan and Roldan are just two of them," said Felizardo Gacad, who coached the team during their stint in Philex in Padcal, Tuba.
