QQ Rent A Car caught the last trip to the playoff round of the 2012 DLX/Gualo Rai Invitational Basketball League after prevailing against Freestyl, 79-75, in a knockout game last Friday at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.
QQ and Freestyl played an extra game last weekend after posting similar 5-3 records and earning 135 points each in the quotient system in Pool B. Anjie's Boys (7-1), Gualo Rai (5-3), and LD Prime (5-3) had earlier clinched the first three playoff seats, joining Pool A's Brgy. San Antonio (7-1), Zhailas All-Starz (6-2), Blue Haus (5-3), and KFC/Taco Bell (5-3).
Elgene Mangali top-scored for QQ in its crucial win, firing 28 points, however it was Kermit Concepcion's clutch baskets that carried the team in the end. Concepcion nailed 10 of his 16 points in the fourth canto, including a pair of free throws in the homestretch. Chris Lansang also made two charities-his only baskets in the game-in the closing second of the knockout match.
Donovan Brennan led Freestyl with his 22 points, drilling half of them in the opening canto to put his team on top, 19-12. QQ fell behind early, as only Mangali and Mike Bondoc scored more than one basket in the first canto.
Mangali, who hit a triple in the first period to open QQ's scoring, kicked off the second canto with another trey and went on to post 14 markers in that period alone to turn the tables on Freestyl at halftime, 41-37. Marlon Sison also contributed in the recovery, as he buried two triples.
Sison made another shot from downtown in the third frame, while Concepcion scored 6 points, as QQ withstood Freestyl's rally and saved a deadlock, 55-all, with a full quarter to go.
Concepcion continued to hit important baskets for QQ in the fourth to eliminate Freestyl.
Meanwhile, last Saturday's playoff games were cancelled and will be played this Wednesday. QQ will duel San Antonio in the second game, while Anjie's Boys will take on KFC/Taco Bell in the opening match.
QQ Rent A Car 79 - Mangali 28, Concepcion 16, Bondoc 11, Sison 10, Montes 6, Lansang 2.
Freestyl 75 - Brennan 22, Kenty 12, Detera 12, Yalung 9, Jacob 2, Alano 2.
Scoring by quarters: 12-19, 41-37, 55-55, 79-75.
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