Sunday, January 19, 2003
Welcoat, Dazz earn Finals slots in PBL
By Rommel C. Manlosa
WELCOAT Paints and Dazz Dishwashing Liquid will battle in the best-of-five championship series for the PBL Challenge Cup following their separate wins yesterday at the Pasig Sports Center.
Welcoat annihilated LBC-Batangas Blades, 84-65, while Dazz survived Blu All-Purpose Detergent Kings, 73-65, setting the intense hardcourt rivalry between Junnel Baculi and Leo Austria another level.
The Paint Masters made their seventh appearance in the finals, winning four, while it’s Austria’s fifth – winning two when still with Shark Energy Drink.
Baculi was responsible for bringing Welcoat to their championship appearances. Now, the rivalry between two champion coaches is renewed with Austria calling the shots for Welcoat and Baculi for Dazz.
“It’s going to be an exciting championship match. It’s going to be another intense hardcourt rivalry between me and coach Junel,” said defending coach Austria, who steered Shark to its titular finish last year.
With Romel Adducul nursing an injury, Welcoat found tough time defusing the bomb named Alex Compton who hit deadly triples for LBC-Batangas.
But when Paul Artadi, Ronald Tubid, Ariel Capus and Eddie Laure exploded, Welcoat marched uncontested in the next two phases to secure the first Finals berth.
Capus topped with 23 points, Laure and Tubid had 17 each, Artadi had 15 while Adducul, who only scored seven points added 11 rebounds and three assists for Welcoat.
Meanwhile, John Ferriols continued his remarkable performance with another massive 16 points, eight rebounds, three-assist production, in 8-of-13 field goal shooting, to earn another Best Player of the Game credit.
But it was Allan Salansang’s 11-of-19 production in the third that helped Dazz overcome a sloppy first half.
Welcoat (84) – Capus 23, Laure 17, Tubid 17, Artadi 15, Adducul 7, Cuan 3, Pingris 2. LBC-Batangas (65) – Compton 28, Magpayo 14, de Castro 6, Baguion 5, Rivera 5, Caceres 3, Sta. Cruz 2, Roldan 2. Quarterscores: 23-20; 49-40; 73-51; 84-65.
Dazz (73) – Salansang 19, Ferriols 16, Baguio 15, Simon 11, Dy 9, Saquilayan 2, Tan 1. Blu (65) – Codamon 18, Dimaunahan 16, Gatumbato 8, Calo 6, Legaspi 3, Latoreno 4, Gamboa 2. Quarterscores: 15-18; 30-32; 57-46; 73-65.
(January 19, 2003 issue)
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