Friday, October 03, 2008 Navigators force rubber match in BBEAL finals By Roderick Osis
ALVIN Simon Bustos pulled two crucial treys in the dying seconds of their second game against Cordillera Career Development College Admirals, 72-71 forcing a rubber match in their championship in the ongoing Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League best of three series.
With 47.5 seconds remaining in the ball game, Bustos unleashed a three to push them within two then unleashed another three to grab the lead by one which sealed them the win for Navigators, 13.7 left in the clock.
The Admirals were up by nine points with 1:59 left in the ball game, 60-69, but missed four successive free throws courtesy of Kirk Tamiray and Arthur Advincula.
The Navigators then went on their defense to eke out the hard earned win.
"I just told my boys to push it harder because we're running out of time," an emotional Navigators head coach Robert Dacanay said after the ball game.
It was a sorry loss for the Admirals despite the MVP like play of Harold Sabado who dished out 19 game high points to go with his three assists, three rebounds, two block shots and three steals.
"Hats off to my players who gave their all for this win. Defense was the key," Dacanay added.
"We just did what coach said during our final huddle to pay tough defense," the 2nd year Navigator Bustos said.
The Admirals were their usual self dominating the boards with Aaron Aquino, Michael Balgua, and Rey Gavino controlling the boards mostly in the ball game.
The Navigators only led five times in the ball game while the Admirals controlled the rest of ball game leading by four at the end of the first period, 18-14.
CCDC enjoyed a 29-36 lead at the end of the first half then pushed the lead to nine with 7:48 in the third quarter, 34-42.
SLU then answered back with an 11-2 run to lead 45-44 with 4:46 left in the third period but the Admirals gallantly fought back to regain the lead, 49-50 with 1:54 in the third quarter. The Navigators answered back to steal the lead at the end of the period, 52-51.
The Admirals immediately went to Sabado to push the Navigators at bay nursing a nine point 62-53 lead with 6:52 left in the ball game.
CCDC looked poised to win their second crown in the league and shut out the Navigators in their best of three series with 1:50 left in the ball game enjoying a 68-59 advantage but errors hounded the Admirals in their last possessions which proved costly.
SLU then slowly cut down the lead to five with a minute remaining in the ball game.
Bustos topped the Navigators with his 15 point performance to go with his three assists. Glen Torio and John Ray Fernandez added 14.
The Admirals were led by Sabado with the help of beanpole Aaron Aquino's 13 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and a steal.
The championship will be decided on Friday at the neutral University of the Cordilleras gymnasium at 1 p.m.
