Thursday, December 21, 2006
MisOr forces rubber-match after Game 2 win
NEVER give a dying squad a chance to get back.
That’s the lesson the multi-titled M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City Jewelers learned Tuesday evening, after Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr rose from the grave to pull a 96-84 come-from-behind upset in Game 2 of the MVBA Second Conference best-of-three finals.
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With the win, MisOr forged a do-or-die winner-take-all game, with the series evened at 1-1.
At press time, the deciding Game 3 was still being played at the Cebu Coliseum.
MisOr pulled the feat without their star player Gilbert Demape, who was nursing a foot injury he acquired in Game 1.
Heroics
Coach Rex Salvaña rode on the heroics of Bob Cozy Ilanga, Rocky Sanchez and the seldom used Jun Pardillo to pull the rug under the Jewelers who were completely stunned by MisOr’s fourth quarter surge.
Down by 10, 63-73 at the 8:23 mark of the fourth, MisOr did the unthinkable —a 23-2 run that turned the tide around.
The Jewelers were leading all the way, holding the Mindanao champions by as many as 13 points in the third quarter but collapsed on the final frame, when everybody was giving up on the Misamis Oriental squad.
Surprise package
Pardillo, who was the surprise package for Salvaña, gave life to MisOr, as he kept their spirits high despite the huge games of Woodrow Enriquez, Stephen Padilla and Jayford Rodriguez.
With Pardillo giving MisOr the intangibles, Ilanga initiated the huge run, while their frontcourt hung tough against the challenge of the Jewelers.
The Jewelers were held without a basket, after Alano Caputolan gave the team a 75-67 lead at the 7:18 mark.
Ilanga, who scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, proved to be the pivotal player on MisOr’s side, while Pardillo, who scored all his nine points —including two triples—provided the spark.
Sanchez, the team’s leading scorer, gave a headache to the Jewelers’ defense as he finished with 24 points, including six triples.
After MisOr erected an 86-75 lead at the 2:07 mark, Mike Manigo broke the ice with a jumper, but the visiting squad could not be denied, as they finished the game on a 10-7 binge to extend the series to the deciding game.
Holcim Pryce-MisOr (96) — Sanchez 24, Ilanga16, Mendoza 10, Pardillo 9, Apepe 9, Alfeche 8, Demape 6, Nailon 6, Jabagat 4, Django 2, Numeran 2. M. Lhuillier-Cebu City (84) — Enriquez 16, Rodriguez 11, Padilla 11, Manigo 10, Llanto 8, Latonio 7, Caputolan 7, Aying 6, Mercader 5, Ramirez 3. (RCM)
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