QC, San Juan win MBT semis

It will be Quezon City against San Juan in the North and Mandaluyong versus MMDA in the South in the division finals of the Metro Basketball Tournament seniors competition at the San Juan Gym.

Quezon City subdued Navotas, 95-92, and San Juan outsteadied Manila, 83-76, to arrange a title showdown in the North, while Mandaluyong routed Pateros, 10263, and MMDA shocked Las Piñas, 9079, to set up a title duel in the South.

The two winner-take-all Division Finals will be held on Nov. 17 before the champions of the two divisions dispute in a best-of-3 series the MBT Seniors overall championship of the 23-under event organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) thru the Metro Manila Sports Fest and supported by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Five players, led by Jefferson Comia and John Kenneth Cortez, scored in double figures for the J. Ycasianomentored Quezon City in the win over the BIDA to the disappointment of the full-house home crowd at the Navotas Sports Complex last Friday.

Comia finished with 17 points in 7-of-13 shooting.

The San Juan-Manila proved to be as exciting at the San Andres Sports Complex Thursday in the North Division semis of this event which has Mobile App ng Bayan Barangay 143 as presenter, myPhone as official mobile phone, Spalding as official ball, and Synergy 88, San Miguel Corp., World Balance and Higer Bus as major sponsors.

John Kenneth Zamora scored all his eight points in the final 2:56, including back-to-back three-point shots that enabled the Whatta Whatta to clinch the win before a big crowd that included Sen.Jinggoy Estrada and PBA legend Philip Cezar.

Zamora's heroics came after Bryan Santos of Manila tied the score for the last time at 73-all with a long threepointer with 3:15 left.

A five-point cluster by Zamora – a two-pointer and a triple – put the Whatta Whatta ahead for good, 78-73, with 2:16 remaining.