Stag escapes Long Shot, 75-73

Stag nipped their first win after a close game against Long Shot, 75-73, in the Legends Sports Association Invitational Basketball League Season 2 last Thursday at the Gillette Multi-Purpose Gymnasium in Gualo Rai.

Stag had a good lead down in the first half from their fastbreak plays and relentless defense, but a resurgent Long Shot team came storming in the second half.

At several points in the game, Stag had double-digit leads, but Long Shots’ one-man army of James Kintz took every shot he could get. Assists from teammates, off-balance shots, and aggressive beeline attacks toward the basket resulted in Long Shots’ comeback in the second half.

Kintz muscled his way through Stag’s defenses and almost single-handedly carried his team to a close win. But Stag’s top performer Michael Mancao eagerly tried to solidify their first victory with his speed and almost untouchable fast-break plays.

The game swayed between the two teams come crunch time after a 53-41 Stag lead with 10 minutes left. However, as the clock trickled down, the game transformed into a captivating back-and-forth battle.

Long Shot relentlessly closed the gap and with mere minutes left, the score was neck-and-neck. The game was so close that it could’ve gone either way, but in the dying moments, a series of crucial plays and a pair of clutch free throws by Tim Wesley narrowly secured the victory for the Stag.

Kintz’s stellar performance came up short but put up 41 points, while Sean Apasan was far behind at 15 points, and Irvin Malonzo added 7.

Mancao was almost at the 30-point mark with 29 points, followed by Wesley’s 11, and Vincent Lumen’s 10.

In other results that night, Save More notched their first win, 93-62, over Live 2 Live. In last Saturday’s games, Tan Holdings blew Tax Pro/Triple L out of the court, 108-73, and Unity Trade secured their first win, 63-56 over Premier Builders. Last Sunday, Choju overpowered Yuman, 107-76, and Kag Bros defeated Lamesa Kusina, 82-61.

The next games are scheduled for tonight between Elite Force and Stag at 6:30pm, and Bourbon Bar & Cafe vs. Live 2 Live at 8pm.

Stag 75 – Mancao 29, Wesley 11, Lumen 10, Maluto 9, Bravo 2, Marchadesch 2, Marilla 2, Casaba 1.

Long Shot 73 – Kintz 41, Apasan 15, Malonzo 7, Echavez 3, Laxa 3, Cubangbang 2, Tolentino 2.

Scoring by halves: 30-23, 75-73.