Sunday, March 16, 2008 Chiefs inch close to Inter-City win, Villar's P2M
THE Lapu-Lapu City Chiefs hung tough in the end game to draw first blood of the best-of-three championship series for the Cebu Inter-City Basketball Championship title and moved a game away from winning the P2-million worth of projects from the countrywide development fund of Senate President Manny Villar.
The Chiefs banked on the end game poise of back-up center Mike Asoro to beat the hard-fighting Bogo City Bogoys, 86-82, in Game 1 at the Lapu-Lapu City Auditorium and Sports Complex Friday night.
Meanwhile, in the knockout battle for the third place, Talisay City Aquastars survived the heavy pounding of the Danao City Pistoleros for a 93-85 victory to win themselves P700,000 worth of projects from Villar’s CDF. Danao City got P300,000.
The Chiefs were sailing to a smooth victory after erecting a 74-63 lead still with 7:12 left to play in the fourth quarter when suddenly they became tentative in defense and predictable in offense.
As the Larry Villanil-mentored Lapu-Lapu City struggled without a basket for the next 4:15, Bogo City scored eight unanswered points to move within 74-71.
It was Asoro who broke the scoring drought of the Chiefs with five straight points for a 79-73 lead before Jun Ace Ursal gave back the Bogoys the lead with nine straight points, capped with a triple at the final 55.4 seconds of the game for an 82-81 lead.
However, the egging of the home crowd and the determination to win kept the Chiefs together and made the Bogoys crumble into pieces.
Bogo had the chance to tie or send the game into extra period in the final 20.5 seconds of the game but they missed their three attempts and Mike Asoro who secured the rebound for Lapu-Lapu City, sank pressure-packed free throws with 1.5 seconds remaining for the final tally. (RCM)
