Down entirely of the three quarters of the match, Rangers could not put a stop on the three stalwarts of team Western Union namely Jun Bautista, Bong Alambra, and Eric Patena who scored 26, 14, and 16 respectively, as they kept on pounding the latter with their inside outside game to lead by three ending the third quarter, 64 – 61.
With an overflowing crowd at the Palau National Gymnasium up on their feet cheering, shouting, and clapping for their team, the exciting championship match progressed where Rangers seemed to have found their groove at the last canto in which they formulated an effective, aggressive, and timely run that eventually gave them the momentum and the lead with 11 ticks left in the match.
And as the ball being awarded to Western Union from a tap out call against the Rangers of the officials with 4 seconds remaining, they went to their go to guy, Bautista, who was fouled going strong to the hoop. Western Union called for a trick play during a timeout of having power forward Bautista putting in the first shot of the freethrow while intentionally missing the second hoping to get the rebound. Unfortunately, the trick did not materialize as big man Jay Naguit of the Rangers team secured the ball on the second throw for his team where the time expired on the remittance specialists, Western Union, resulting to a game one victory for pioneer team, Rangers at al score of 78 -76.
As for the battle of third and fourth place between ATT – Jaguars and Surangel, streak shooters Hener Aguinaldo and Jerome Ratunil of the Jaguars took matters to their hands as they carried their team to game one success with remarkable output of 18 and 19. Notwithstanding a spectacular game from Arnold Undecimo and Deloy Pinggot with 22 and 24 markers, ATT Jaguars came with their usual intense defense to beat the latter with a ending tally of 85 – 79.
The 2009 Filipino Basketball League is under close supervision and is operated by the Palau Basketball Federation. FBL is sponsored by PITI, CTSI-Logistics, J.Trading/ATT, Surangel and Sons, Ilocandia Association, Ilonggo Association, PINOY Express, AQUA drinking water and Western Union.
