The Rollers, nearly losing the lead in the third quarter, needed only a two-pointer and pair of free throws from Luizi Reyes to claim their spot in the championship on October 8.
Nicko Salem and the rest of SIP faced a losing battle at the start, scoring only nine points in the first quarter. They however, outran the Rollers, 31-18 early in the second half on steady shooting from Adrian Palacios and John Darag.
The Rollers spared no player on the court, with 11 of 12 members landing a basket. Varsity player Brandon Aulerio top scored with 31 points while Luizi scored 11. Leo Galarse settled for six points before fouling out.
The Rollers gained confidence after a strong first half, blasting shot after shot against Nicko Salem and Jack Aranda.
Sharp shooter John Darag couldn’t sink his three-pointers until the second quarter, with SIP still behind 15 points.
Later in the fourth quarter, Aulerio and Darag exchanged three-point shots as the Rollers hammered back-to-back baskets from Josh Kiyoshi and Wens Namelo.
Reyes’ game-saving free throws didn’t come in until the last minute, right after a fast break field goal.
Team SIP may settle for third or fourth place depending on their consolation game this Saturday, October 1.
In a first game, the AFP-Jets advanced to the semifinals after crushing the Laguna-S.U. Lions. The Jets will also play MDX-Armatech this Saturday for a chance at the championship.
Scores:
Filcag-Rollers 85 – B. Aulerio 31, L. Reyes 11, J. Kiyoshi 8, E. Travis 8, L. Galarse 6, P. Torres 6, R. Cruz 4, W. Namelo 4, D. Brennan 3, H. Hambros 2, B. Iglesias 2
SIP-Aon-Flor 82 – Nicko Salem 20, Niven Salem 13, J. Darag 14, B. Alegre 8, J. De Guzman 8, J. Aranda 8, A. Palacios 7, Saturno 4
Quarterscores: 23-9, 43-28, 61-59, 85-82
Jets 104, Lions 79
Both the AFP-Jets and Laguna-S.U. Lions entered a deadlock in the first half, with the latter down one point in the first quarter.
The Jets came on the winning end with a 25-19 advantage from the third quarter and ended the game by a large margin, 104-79.
The Lions lost Frank Macahito in the closing minutes due to excessive fouls, leaving the load to Garry and Jerry Habijan.
While Sahj Hossain top scored with 32 points, Eugene Manglona and Melvin Cading kept the Laguna back with 23 and 15, respectively. Double digit scorers Kevin Deleon and Ezra Caro added a combined 25 points.
Scores:
AFP-Jets 104 – S. Hossain 32, E. Manglona 23, M. Cadiang 15, K. Deleon 14, E. Caro 11, J. Webb 4, J. Aguilar 3, R. Deleon Guerrero 2
Laguna-S.U. Lions 79 – G. Macahito 30, F. Macahito 12, A. Manalili 9, M. Madreo 9, J. Habijan 9, L. Lapuz 8, Habijan 2
Quarterscores: 23-22, 43-43, 68-62, 104-79
