Thriller makes ’em winners
chiefs steal ot win over bombers in drama-fraught finish
Talk of a shattering finish – this is one win snatched from the jaws of defeat and one defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
That’s how fortunes shifted in a virtual blink of an eye with Jose Rizal U forcing overtime with a Hail Mary trey at the buzzer and Arellano U stealing the win that could’ve been theirs earlier with a desperate jumper in the last four seconds to finally seize a 7372 decision yesterday in one of the most dramatic endings seen on Philippine hard courts in a long while.
And in the core of this pulsating endgame were two key figures with clutch shots that had made them heroes on both sides of the court.
But in the end, only one emerged the winner although the other also appeared to be a victor than a vanquished.
Kent Salado made up for missing two free throws that could’ve secured the win in regulation by hitting the game-winner with 0.3 seconds left in overtime as the Chiefs claimed the victory to grab a share of second with the San Beda Lions on 2-1 cards in the 93rd NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan.
Salado finished with a game-high 25 points, including the biggest shot of them all – a one-handed floater over the outstretched arm of Cameroonian Abdel Poutouochi in a crowded lane. The Bombers dropped to 1-2. It could’ve been the other way around for the two teams following Salado’s foul throw misses as JRU’s Jed Mendoza hit a desperate trey in a high sharp-angled shot that hit the glass as time expired in regulation, forcing overtime at 62-all.
Mendoza also scored JRU’s last six points, including a split that shoved the Bombers to a 72-71 with four seconds left in extension before Salado fired the game winner in heavy traffic.
Earlier, Letran fought back from 17 points down and edged Emilio Aguinaldo College, 83-80, while San Beda overpowered listless St. Benilde, 76-52, as they got back on the winning track.
Jeo Ambohot, a transferee from Arellano U, fired 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and came through with two shot blocks while skipper Rey Nambatac, Bong Quinto and former Lyceum Pirate Jeremiah Taladua shot 14 points apiece for the Knights, who overcame a 9-26 deficit late in the first quarter and outsteadied the Generals in the stretch to pound out the three-point victory.
Letran coach Jeff Napa also credited their win to his wards’ solid defense, which held EAC’s Hamadou Laminou to just seven points. The 6-10 Cameroonian erupted for 21 points in EAC’s 74-64 romp over St. Benilde last Friday.
“The whole team did an excellent job making life difficult for Hamadou Laminou,” said Napa, whose wards dropped a 75-78 loss to Mapua last week.
The Lions also rebounded from their shock 91-96 defeat to the Pirates last Friday as they dominated the Blazers in the second quarter on their way to posting the 12-point romp. The scores: First Game Letran 83 – Ambohot 15, Nambatac 14, Quinto 14, Taladua 14, Calvo 9, Balanza 8, Pamulaklakin 4, Balagasay 3, Vacaro 2, Gedaria 0, Bernabe 0
EAC 80 – Munsayac 22, onwubere 20, Garcia 13, Bautista 11, Laminou 7, Mendoza J 3, Pascua 2, Guzman 2, diego 0, Mendoza I 0, Corilla 0, Neri 0 Quarterscores: 12-28; 41-43; 58-54; 83-80 Second Game San Beda 76 – Mocon 12, Bolick 9, Soberano 9, Tongco 8, Potts 7, Noah 6, doliguez 6, Carino 6, Presbitero 4, Bahio 4, Abuda 3, Tankoua 2, oftana 0, Adamos 0, Cabanag 0
St. Benilde 52 – Leutcheu 10, Belgica 8, domingo 8, Pili 7, dixon 6, Sta. Maria 6, Naboa 4, young 3, San Juan 0, Castor 0, Bunyi 0, Johnson 0, Suarez 0 Quarterscores:16-15; 37-24; 62-44; 76-52 Third Game AU 73 – Salado 25, Nichols 13, Flores 7, Enriquez 6, Canete 6, Meca 4, Villoria 4, ongolo 4, Alcoriza 4, dela Cruz 0, Rivera 0, Padilla 0, Concepcion 0, Abanes 0
Jose Rizal 72 – dela Virgen 15, Teodoro 15, Poutouochi 11, Gropse 10, Mendoza 9, Abdul Wahab 4, Lasquety 3, david 2, Castor 0, Bordon 0
Quarterscores: 15-17; 28-35; 44-48; 62-all; 73-72