|
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Luz-Viz sweeps Mindanao team
VALENCIA CITY -- The Luzon/Visayas All-Stars completed a sweep of the Mindanao All-Stars with a 96-91 victory in final day of the 2005 National Basketball Conference All Stars at the jampacked city gym here.
Mindanao took the first half of the game but the Luzon/Visayas All Stars again wrested control in the second half behind the brilliant quarterbacking of Laguna's Marlon Kalaw, Mantawi's Maui Huelar and Tribu Sugbu's Ronald Bucao.
Kalaw and Huelar dished out nine assists apiece while Bucao hit eight including four straight points midway through the fourth period when Mindanao threatened, 82-78.
Valencia fans had a preview of the remaining semifinal series in the southern conference when Golden Harvest coach Arvin Martinez decided to field in all his five All-Star players with Luzon/Visayas coach Segundo "Bong" dela Cruz gamely responding by also fielding in all four Tribu Sugbu All-Stars together with Mantawi Sprakling Nights' Jhayson Alminario as the fans chanted "Cebu vs Valencia" at the start of the payoff period.
Valencia's Julius Navales, Nat Cruz and Eliazar Berami opened the quarter with three straight baskets to rally the Mindanao selection within one, 79-78, from a 72-77 deficit at the start.
But Tribu Sugbu's mutt-and-jeff tandem of Marvin Mercado and Bucao answered quickly with seven points of their own padding the lead to 86-81 as the other All-Stars replaced the Tribu Sugbu and Valencia players to finish the game.
Ozamiz Cotta's Melfred Sampilo exploded for six straight points when Mindanao last threaten at 90-89 but that proved to be their last stand as Kalaw and Para¤aque Jet Alex Bognot's reverse slam punctuated the Luzon/Visayas' sweep.
Bognot emerged as the All Star Most Valuable Player as he again topscored the Luzon/Visayas selection with 17 points, including two highlight-reel dunks, on top of five rebounds, two assists and one steal.
The Luzon/Visayas selection blasted their Mindanao counterparts in Iligan, 96-87, behind Bognot and Booker's 43-point explosion.
In the sidevents of the Valencia leg, Kalaw wont he three-point shoot-out with 15 points barely inching local favorite Navales' 14.
Roland Delina could not flash the form that won him the dunkfest in the Iligan leg the day earlier as Tribu Sugbu's Marvin Mercado edged out Arnold Boooker, who missed his dunk in the finals, 30-15.
The Golden Harvest of Mayor Jose Galario, Jr. will hosts the defending champion Sky/Sirlitz-backed Tribu Sugbu on Tuesday here at the start of their best-of-three semifinals.
The winner will advance into the southern conference finals against Ozamiz Cotta, which eliminated the Iligan Crusaders, 2-1, in the other semis pair.
(October 1, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
|
