Smart Cagers, Mobil set up title series

Smart Cagers will square off against defending champion Mobil in the 2nd QQ Car Rental Basketball Cup Invitational League best-of-three finals series.

Game 1 is set to tip off at 7:30pm tonight at the Garapan Basketball Court, right after a 6pm U12 exhibition game featuring players from the Rollers Basketball Club.

En route to the finals, Smart Cagers defeated Ali’i Konflikt, 96-94, in overtime last Friday, while Mobil kept its title-retention bid alive with a pulsating 78-77 win over top-ranked Sonics last Monday.

In the first semifinal game last Friday, Konflikt’s Elmer Esdrelon delivered 10 points in the clutch, but Smart Cagers’ Pete Iguel and Errol Peredo teamed up for 15 points in overtime for the win.

Iguel actually set the tone early for Smart Cagers, as the do-it-all swingman scored seven points to stake his team to an 18-16 edge after the first quarter.

Konflikt’s Jawn Joyner answered with eight markers in the second quarter to go with a pair of 3-pointers by his teammates to turn the tables on Smart Cagers, as Konflikt went ahead by two, 36-34, at the half.

Smart Cagers spread the ball around in the third period and reclaimed the lead, 56-52, entering the fourth and final canto.

Konflikt’s Elgin Mangali nailed two 3-pointers for eight early points that put his team right back in the game.

Smart Cagers came out on top from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, 12-8, but the game still ended up tied at 80-all.

It continued to be a nip-and-tuck ballgame in the extra five minutes before Iguel and Peredo teamed up to tow Smart Cagers to victory.

Iguel led all scorers with 36 markers, while Esdrelon finished with 30.

The Mobil-Sonics tussle was first played Friday, but the second game of the evening’s doubleheader only finished halfway on account of rain.

In the opening period, the Sonics managed a slim 17-16 edge as Lerio Pagarao paced the squad with seven points.

Mobil’s Angelo Fernando then caught fire with a string of nine points in the second quarter to go with Jun Estolas’ six markers as the duo conspired to give Mobil a 39-36 Mobil advantage at the half.

Just under two minutes into the third period, the game was called off due to rain and was rescheduled for Sunday, June 26. More rain on Sunday forced the game to finally pick back up last Monday.

Monday’s action started locked at 40-all with 8:17 left on the clock in the third quarter. From there Mobil pulled ahead, 59-51, heading into crunch time thanks to eight big points from center Larry Sharry.

Sonics’ Pagarao amassed 19 points in the clutch, but Mobil’s Estolas came up with just enough answers to hold off the late surge.

The game was tied at 72-all at the two-minute warning, locked at 74-all in the final 60 seconds, and knotted up again at 76-all with just 21 ticks on the clock.

Sonics’ Pagarao then drew a foul and made the go-ahead basket, and Mobil immediately called time out to set up its final play.

Estolas waited at the top of the key for the right moment to break inside.

He slashed right up the middle of the lane and dished off a last second pass to Marvin Rabauliman, who nailed an acrobat shot from the weak side of the paint that made it 78-77. Sonics were left with just four seconds to answer and did not get a shot off as time expired.

Estolas and Rabauliman turned in 18 points apiece, while Pagarao tallied 33 in a heartbreaker. It looked like whichever team ended up with the ball last was going to win and Mobil came out to be that team.

Smart Cagers 96[/B] – Iguel 36, Peredo 17, De Dios 15, Manolo 13, Dayrit 5, Montano 5, Usi 5.
[B] Konflikt 94[/B] – Esdrelon 30, Joyner 25, Mangali 14, Tamayo 11, Libuw 5, Gabaldon 4, Tumaquip 3, B. Camacho 2.

Mobil 78[/B] – Estolas 18, Rabauliman 18, Fernando 13, Ruluked 11, Sharry 6 De Guzman 5, Abuan 4.
[B] Sonics 77[/B] – Pagarao 33, Lizama 16, Santos 14, Wong 5, Chan 3, Apelo 2, Bahilo 2, Eclevia 2.