Cebu’s playoff shot suffers blow

CEBU. Jaybie Mantilla scored 12 points for Cebu but it was not enough to keep the team from losing to Basilan. (Photo courtesy of MPBL)
CEBU. Jaybie Mantilla scored 12 points for Cebu but it was not enough to keep the team from losing to Basilan. (Photo courtesy of MPBL)

The Cebu-Casino Ethyl Alcohol’s chances of making it to the playoffs suffered a tremendous blow after it suffered an 86-79 loss to Basilan in the 2019-20 Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Cup at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020.

The loss dropped Cebu’s win-loss record to 11-13, good for ninth place in the Southern Division. Basilan, on the other hand, improved to 17-10.

After a tight first half that saw Basilan go up by just six, 42-36, at halftime, Cebu suddenly let go of the rope and allowed Basilan’s star Allyn Bulanadi to take over. A top-five pick in the recent PBA Draft, Bulanadi showed off and scored 11 straight points capped off by a three-pointer that gave Basilan a 56-36 lead less than three minutes into the third canto.

However, with less than five minutes remaining in the game, Rhaffy Octobre, Jaybee Mantilla and Joel Lee Yu conspired in a 6-0 blast for Cebu to cut a once 10-point lead to just four

points, 72-76.

The two teams then exchanged baskets before Bulanadi drained a mid-range bucket with 1:21 left to help the Steel take an 84-76 cushion. He then dished a pass to Criz Dumapig who converted a one-hander to stretch the lead to 10 points with 37.82 seconds to take the fight out of the Sharks.

Dumapig delivered 17 points and seven boards while Bulanadi provided 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Meanwhile, Octobre poured 18 points for Cebu, while Nichole Ubalde, Jaybie Mantilla and Will McAloney added 12 points each. (JNP)

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