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Monday, June 27, 2005
Braves edge Mayor's squad, captures title
By Edwin G. Espejo
THE North Cotabato Braves overcame a fierce rally from the gritty Mayor's Squad of Digos City to win by the slimmest margin, 65-64, and capture the inaugural Manny Pacquiao Open Basketball Tournament Friday last week.
Anchored by the triumvirate of Marvin Martinez, Anselmo Dagatan and Roel del Norte, the Braves fend off a late surge from the Mayor's squad before escaping with a pulsating victory in the dying seconds of the game.
The Braves, who lost the second game of the best of three championship series, led by eight points going into the second half of the game.
Digos' towering Lendy Dawal could have sent the game into overtime with 9.7 seconds to go after a foul committed by Romeo Olar underneath the basket.
Dawal however miffed his first free throw to put the score at 63-62.
In the ensuing play, the Braves' Martinez was fouled while on his way to the basket.
Martinez calmly sank the two free throws with 6.4 seconds in the ballgame to extend the Braves' lead to three.
Digos scored the final basket but with one second to go but the Braves dribbled out at the sound of the final buzzer in the ensuing in bound play.
The Braves went home with the championship trophy and P100,000 prize that went along with the hard-earned victory.
They scored a double victory after Martinez was voted as the tournament's most valuable player.
The Braves, after registering a close 84-81 win in the first game of the championship series had the chance to close bring home the crown in the second game but the Mayor's squad refused to collapse and edged the Braves 82-75 in the second game.
Manny Pacquiao's team, Pacman, earlier thumped East Asia Royale Hotel, 113-108, in the knockout game to bag the second runner-up honors.
Clement Asencio, principal organizer of the games said they were buoyed by the success of the three-week tournament that attracted 12 teams and hoped to organize more basketball games in the coming months.
Pacquiao, who bankrolled the tournament, was not around during the awarding ceremony.
Pacquaio is in New York attending to his multi-million dollar suit filed against his former promoter Murad Muhammad.
For Bisaya stories from General Santos.Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(June 27, 2005 issue)
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