VIRAC Sports Organization displayed a heroic turn around in scoring an upset against Team Masters 106-103, and strengthened their title bid in the bracket D of the on-going eliminations of the 2nd Budz Cup Invitational Basketball Tournament.
Trailing by as much as 15 at the close of the first half, 41-56, Viscor rallied to cut the difference at the third canto and eventually lead late in the fourth quarter during the regular tip off at the Easter College gym Sunday evening.
Rene Banawe, Lenz Antolino, and Dave Macanas combined for 24 points in the third canto of the ballgame that narrowed Viscor’s deficit by four, 74-78, after trailing by as much as 25 points before the second half.
Banawe sparked hope for his team scoring eight straight points before the 4:17 mark in the third period that cut the lead against the erstwhile leading Masters squad, 61-69.
Team Masters, led by forward Paul Catbagan, who generated 12 points earlier in the first half, managed only four points in the entire second half that spelled doom for the squad.
The Masters was up three points, 84-87, in the 5:49 of the pay-off canto before the charging trio of Benawe, Antolino, and Rodel Pingi chipped in another quick 22 points with 3:30 left to gain Viscor’s first lead, 96-94.
Arman Passion managed to drop four more points for the Masters narrowing the difference 102-98 with 23 seconds left, but Antolino scored two more fast breaks that delivered a huge upset to the opposing squad.
“We just locked down with our defense after the first half, we put on the pressure against the other team’s shooters and that gave away the free baskets for our team,” said Viscor coach Edwin Quindao.
“We managed to drain them up at the fourth period, so when we saw the chance to take the lead I told the boys to go for it,” Quindao added.
Antolino led Viscor with a double-double figure of 27 points including 11 rebounds, while Macanas had 14 markers with ten rebounds.
Benawe capped out with 18 points, while Pingi and Emmanuel Quindao added 14 and 10 points accordingly.
Passion scored 30 points for the Masters including 22 he delivered at the second half, while PJ Dela Cruz scored 16 points with 15 coming out from the three-point area.