Monday, September 05, 2005
Lions devour Stars in NBC tilt
STREAK-SHOOTERS Edbert Ton and Melvin Fontanilla combined for nine of the team’s 10 triples, while seldom-used Renato Cariño scored big plays down the stretch as the Baguio Lions escaped the long guns of the visiting Cagayan de Oro Stars with a 97-90 win in the 2005 Panasonic-NBC National Championship at the University of Baguio Gym on Saturday night.
Ton fired 23 points, while Fontanilla added 21 to neutralize CDO point-guard Donald Tadeña, who had a career night with 29 points, including scorching a 7-of-10 shooting from trey land, just one shy of tying Fontanilla’s record of 8-of-12 3-pointers in Baguio’s loss to Laguna earlier this season.
Four in eight
The Lions needed to diffuse several rallies by the Stars to score their fourth win in eight games in the tournament supported by Panasonic, Sulpicio Lines, Sunbolt Sports Drink, Spring Cooking Oil, Accel, Molten, Nature’s Spring, Far Eastern Insurance, Skygo Motorcycles, Sirlitz Solutions Provider, Hapee Toothpaste, Dewfoam, KSK Food Products (Boy Bawang), Bayview Park Hotel and Holiday Plaza Hotel-Cebu.
The Stars held the lead twice after coming back from double-digit leads with the last one at 72-71 on Jaime Rivera’s triple at the start of the fourth period. Then the 6-foot-4 Cariño scored all of his 11 points on a 14-6 run as Lions zoomed ahead, 88-82, midway.
Seventh triple
The Stars refused to yield as Tadena’s seventh triple inched them closer, 90-93, in the final 35 seconds. However, Tadena and Ronan Isidro missed consecutive 3-point attempts before Baguio put the game on ice at the stripe.
Jun Balares backed the explosive pair of Ton and Fontanilla with 17 points on top of eight assists, five rebounds and five steals while directing Baguio’s offense.
Baguio (97) – Ton 23, Fontanilla 21, Balares 17, Bona 12, Cariño 11, Ico 6, Tiongson 5, Mapanao 2. CDO (90) – Tadena 29, Ramos 17, Rivera 15, Isidro 10, Dela Victoria 6, Culdora 6, Romaguera 3, Jabagat 2, Diango 2. Quarterscores: 30-18, 51-45, 68-69, 97-90. RCM
(September 5, 2005 issue)
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