PMA Cavaliers stave off KCP Tigers fightback

PHILIPPINE Military Academy held on to an 84 -79 victory against a tough as nail Kings College of the Philippines in the ongoing men’s basketball of the Baguio – Benguet Educational Athletic League season 31 Sunday afternoon at the UB gym.

PMA, coming off a sorry loss against the Baguio College of Technology Saturday, leaned once again on Cadet Allan Paul Mendoza who came up with clutch baskets down the stretch to secure their third victory in four games.

Mendoza started slow in the ball game with only 13 in the first half but came up with 13 in the pay off canto to save the Cavaliers against a determined Amazing Tigers who battled from 14 point deficit at the start of the third period.

The Cavaliers were enjoying a 54 -40 advantage with 8: 33 remaining in the third period when the Tigers got their act together and pulled of a searing 26 – 15 run to come within three, 69 -66, with 8:33 remaining in the pay off canto with Vincent Loayan coming up with seven straight points during that stretch.

PMA’s Batman and Robin tandem of Mendoza and Aaron Nathaniel Torres then made it 75 – 68 with 5:19 left in the ball game but the KCP answered back with a six to nothing run to tie the ball game at 75 all in the 1:55 mark courtesy of Loayan and Roldan Bangcado.

Mendoza then made it a three point

affair in the ensuing , 78 – 75, on an and one play while Loayan missed another game tying three as Torres secured the rebound and scored on a fast break to make it 80 75 with 1:35 remaining.

Laoyan however made up for an earlier miss and scored another triple as KCP came close within two, 80 – 78, in the final 1:26 minute of the ball game.

Mendoza returned the favor for PMA with another basket, making it 82 – 78, as KCP failed to convert on their possession with the Cavaliers securing another win.

Mendoza top scored for the Cavliers with 31 markers while Torres added 28 as Jose Miguel Abellanosa chipped in 11 .

KCP’s Loayan fired a team high of 31 points including seven triples while Bancado had 15 as Giovanni Cuilan finished with nine markers. Roderick Osis

Photo by Roderick Osis MAN OF THE HOUR. PMA Cavaliers Allan Paul Mendoza scores on a running jumper against two KCP Tigers during the second half in the elimination round of their men’s basketball contest of the Baguio – Benguet – Educational Athletic League at the UB gym.