Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Kings beat Allied for Cuba title
THE KINGS displayed huge heart and determination to win as they shook off the pressure to beat Allied Bank, 59-56, to win the championship title of the 2008 Cebu United Bankers Association First Conference last Saturday at the Capitol Parish gym.
The Kings lost a nine-point lead at the half but displayed pure heart in pressure time behind the free throws of Ron Ron Yap and Charles Dabon to hang on with the three- point win.
The two squads fought hard from the start with the Kings erecting a 14-11 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
With Yap and Ervin Letrero heating up, the Kings went to post a 30-21 lead at the bend after William Appari scored a buzzer-beater for the Kings.
Allied Bank, however, rallied hard in the third and pulled within 39-41 before Kings center Robert Rafson Chua scored his own buzzer-beater for a four-point lead going into the final period.
The game was fought fiercely from thereon before Yap broke a 56-all deadlock with pressure packed free throws with 31 seconds left to play.
The Kings then played good defense to deny Allied Bank the basket before Dabon was sent to the free throw line for a split charity with 10 seconds remaining in the
game.
Allied Bank launched a last-ditch effort to send the game to overtime but Hendry Mancera’s 3-point try failed to hit the mark.
Yap topped the Kings with 16 points, while tournament MVP Letrero scored 15. Former USP Panther Bogart Nemenzo led Allied Bank with 19 points and Mancera added 17.
Kings (59)—Yap 16, Letrero 15, Dabon 9, Go 7, Castillo 4, Solon 4, Chua 2, Aparri 2. Allied Bank (56)—Nemenzo 19, Mancera 17, Noel 6, Palaria 4, Chan 3, Baldoza 3, Ong 2, Lestino 2. (RCM from PR)
