Top seeds Blue Haus and Lions Club/NMC Proa will start their best-of-three championship series in the QQ Car Rental's 3rd Basketball Cup tonight at the Garapan Basketball Court.
The winner gets to take home $1,000 and a off season worth of bragging rights.
Blue Haus punched its finals ticket after advancing past OCM Corporation, 73-66, in last Friday's first pairing, while NMC Proa eliminated Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell, 86-77, in the second semifinal.
These teams met once before during the round-robin eliminations with Blue Haus stealing the win, 70-67.
In addition, the tournament's awards ceremony will take place after the conclusion of Game 1.
In Friday's first match, Blue Haus worked out an early 20-18 edge in the opening 10 minutes by tallying 8 free throws that were complemented by a couple of 3-pointers.
Five of the freebies came from Bret Sutton, which led the group in the frame.
OCM's Ben Lisua sank a pair of treys in the first quarter and added another 7 points for his squad in the second, but Blue Haus' Leo Galarse obliged with two long-range strikes for 8 points that went with 6 more by Sutton as Blue Haus extended to a 41-34 advantage at halftime.
Blue Haus then kept OCM at bay in the third period and maintained control, 59-51, heading into the final stanza. Sutton, Elmer Esdrelon, and Brendon Talanaia provided Blue Haus' offense in the exchange.
OCM did its best to muster a comeback, but Blue Haus always had an answer on the other end and played a clean, smart game all the way to the end.
Sutton canned four of his team's five free throws late in the match to secure the victory.
He finished with a game-high 23 points, while OCM's Lisua turned in 20 on the short end.
In the second match, NMC Proa jumped out to an early 17-9 edge in the first quarter as Lerio Pagarao broke loose out of the gate for 7 points.
He then led a mixed bag through the second period with another 6 markers as NMC Proa maintained its previous margin of 8 points, 41-33, at intermission.
KFC/Taco Bell's Bryle Alegre, Kae Bernrdo, Jawn Joyner, and Nevin Salem all chipped in a handful of checks in the first half.
KFC/Taco Bell regrouped at the pause and postured a comeback in the third quarter as NMC Proa found itself in foul trouble early in the match.
The squad also benefited from four 3-pointers in clawing back to within a possession heading into crunch time, 54-57. Two of the treys came from Joyner who led the charge with 8 points.
Although KFC/Taco Bell fought its tail off for three quarters of the game, the team eventually wore down midway through the final period and NMC Proa ended up more or less walking off with the win.
Despite the dull ending, KFC/Taco Bell did a good job not letting NMC Proa's best player, Jack Lizama, from taking over the match. They, however, didn't have an answer for Pagarao and Ivan Devero who teamed up for 41 points in the game.
Pagarao's 24 topped the box score, while KFC/Taco Bell's Jaymark De Guzman earned the nod off the bench with 16.
First Game
Blue Haus 73 - Sutton 23, Talania 13, Esdrelon 13, Galarse 11, Tumaquip 5, Barbo 4, Muleta 3, Guiab 1.
OCM Corp. 66 - Lisua 20, Sacramento 13, Teregeyo 12, Babauta 5, Diaz 4, Lauron 4, Clayton 2 Montes 2, Tenorio 2.
Scoring by quarters: 20-18, 41-34, 59-51, 73-66.
Second Game
Lions Club/NMC Proa 86 - Pagarao 24, Devero 17, Barcinas 14, Demapan 10, Lizama 10, Ogumoro 5, Chariton 2, Libuw 2, Yabut 2.
KFC/Taco Bell 77 - De Guzman 16, Aranda 14, Joyner 14, Salem 11, Bernardo 6, Alegre 5, Bahillo 3, Manglona 3, Abuel 2, Francisco 2.
Scoring by quarters: 17-9, 41-33, 57-54, 86-77.
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