DEFENDING champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Jewelers scored a repeat over the listless Arthro Kontra Arthritis, 87-82, to secure the solo second place behind the idle Cebu Landmasters-Mandaue City in the 2007 MVBA Second Conference at the Cebu Coliseum last Monday.
Meanwhile, over in Cagayan de Oro City, first conference champion Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr bounced back with a vengeance following its back-to-back defeats after handing the visiting Goldstar Hardware-Duterte Agilas-Davao a 100-89 beating.
The Jewelers were all business from the start as they withered the challenge of Arthro which lost its spunk down the stretch.
The nine-man Kontra Arthritis squad was in fighting mode for the first half but eventually lost steam when the Jewelers started to use their height and size advantage down low.
After Doroteo Almacin and Mark Ababon gave Arthro its last taste of the lead 40-38 with a triple each in the waning minutes of the second quarter.
However, the Jewelers responded with a 13-2 binge to seize the lead at 51-42 and never gave it up.
Arthro launched a final assault when M. Lhuillier had a 60-49 advantage with a 9-0 run, but it all went for naught after committing three successive turnovers that again allowed the Jewelers to master a 79-69 advantage in the final two minutes of the game.
Woodrow Enriquez and Ron Capati scored 17 points each for M. Lhuillier, while Almacin scored the league’s best 28 points for Arthro’s third defeat in four games in the league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
Meanwhile, the Cebu Landmasters-Mandaue crafty guard Mike Mañigo was chosen as the third recipient of the MVBA Player of the Week award.
Mañigo averaged a team-best 11.7 points per game and led the Landmasters to win all its three road games in Mindanao to gain a strong hold of the league leadership.
The 5-foot-9 former Cebu Doctors College White Stallion bested teammates Richard Ian Saladaga and Aldrin Ocañada and Stephen Padilla of M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala for the weekly accolade. (RCM with MVBA Media Bureau)
