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Sunday, July 23, 2006
Juicers, Medex set early lead in Socsksargen cage games
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The resurrected Dole Juicers and the avenging Mindanao Medical Center’s Medex recently won their first assignments to take early lead in the best-of-three semi-final round of the ongoing Socsksargen Basketball League (SBL) Inaugural Conference.
Tuesday last week was the first day of the semis but the 1,000-seater Oval Plaza covered court here at downtown here was full to the rafter as Dole Juicers took a sweet revenge against St. Elizabeth Hospital Rebels 95-90 in their 5:30 p.m. first game assignment. The Juicers suffered its lowest output at the hands of the Rebels 82-69 during their first meeting in the elimination last July 8.
The Juicers under the cool but watchful eyes of Coach Jun Allera assumed early command by closing the first quarter at 27-21. It however erred to allow the Rebels that were personally commanded by Team Governor and SBL Chairman Tony Boy Veneracion to make a 9-to-21 run in the second that resulted in a 50-49 tally in favor of the home team.
The whole third was a seesaw with the Rebels still maintaining their one-point edge at the end, 73-72. With Danilo Baldosano teaming up with point guard Michael Etrata and center Gabriel Maloloy-on, the Juicers had finally managed to break away from the hold of the Rebels in the fourth to finally secure a five-point advantage for a 95-90 finish.
The night’s second engagement however turned out to be a real thrill of no kind in SBL’s month-old tournament history as the Medex beaten the Koronadal City-based DPWH-Del Rio Resort, 123-119, but not after two five-minute extensions.
What started as a lackadaisical encounter following an euphoric engagement between two favorites had turned out to be a match of great action when the Medex made a 14-to-4 run from behind in the fourth quarter to establish the second deadlock at 78-all.
Three more stalemates followed at 82, 88 and 92-all before Highwayman Syrus Anthony Silorio fired a three in the dying second to close the regulation game at 95-all, prompting the first five-minute overtime.
Earlier, the Medical Experts had been trailing behind the Highwaymen after the latter overtook them at 36-35 two-third into the second canto.
With 3:37 minutes remaining, Koronadal City’s prime squad was leading by four at 88-84 when Rommel Benigay, Arniel Roda and Jimboy Bartolome poured eight within some two minutes not just to close the gap but to poise as well a four-point advantage during the last one minute. Silorio, aided by power forward Julius Sabijon with two charities, quickly closed the gap at 92-all.
Unfortunately however, Rico Ramos, Department of Public Works and Highways’ high leaping and productive center, fouled out against Felix Alon who was in the act of making a fruitful attack on the basket seconds before the final buzzer, sending the heavy center to the 15-foot line to secure the squad’s final mark.
Silorio’s courageous try however from behind the arc with a handful of seconds away from the final buzzer had proven to be monumental in setting SBL’s second record for an overtime game.
The Highwaymen entered the extension limping without the reliable Ramos. But with the small pointguard Jimmy John Penetrante penetrating six out of 12, the DPWH-Del Rio Resort almost won the game if not for Bartolome’s two successful conversions from the charity line some nine seconds before the end of the extension game.
Determine to end the struggle, the Medex blasted with six as soon as the second overtime opened before allowing the DPWH-Del Rio Resort to inch closer at 114-113. With Roda and Bartolome combining with center Jay Forones, the Medex zoomed to 123 while limiting the physically exhausted DPWH-Del Rio Resort to 119 for the final tally.
The SBL Inaugural Conference has been staged in cooperation with the SouthPhil Arts and Sports Promotion and with the little support of the City Government of General Santos, the Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Company (PLDT) Inc., and the Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. (Press release)
(July 23, 2006 issue)
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