Jollibee, Bicol nip opponents in SIP
Two teams struggling to keep its head above water narrowly escaped another washout in the Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense Basketball League last Friday at the CMS Court.
In the first game, underachieving Jollibee leaned on a three-point play by Bogs Dayrit in dying seconds to upend a game SMF-Shell squad, 89-88, and finally snap its four-game skid.
With less than 30 seconds left in the game and Bicol ahead by a deuce, the 5-foot-11 forward zigzagged past Shell defenders to hit an off-balanced lay-up and was fouled in the process.
Dayrit would ice the free throw and Shell forward Melvin Villarin missed a potential game-winning shot to end the match.
The endgame three-point play capped a 30-point performance by Dayrit. But game-high honors went to his teammate and Mobil league MVP Jorge De Guzman who wounded up with 32 markers and 9 rebounds.
Brothers Leo and Ricky Itaas also chipped in 16 and 9 points, respectively for the fastfood kings.
Most of the game belonged to Shell as they led 23-17 after the opening quarter. Although, Jollibee knotted the count at 45-all at the break, the SMF-backed squad would sizzle in the third canto and took a 72-65 margin going to the fourth and final quarter of the contest.
Shell was still up by 5 points in the last two minutes of the game, but a succession of errors and missed shots on their part and lucky breaks by Jollibee in the last seconds, that included Dayrit’s final hit, did them in.
Prior to the win, Jollibee, a collection of star players from the island’s many commercial leagues, only had its opening night 86-84 victory against Bicol to boast of.
Villarin’s 24 points and Cris pumped in 21 markers led Shell, which remained at the bottom of the team standings with no wins in six outings.
In the second game, Bicol finished the elimination round with an 81-79 cardiac triumph against Kiosk San Roque.
The game was tight from the opening tip until the final buzzer. Bicol was only able to get the upper hand after Kiosk forward Boboy Sampang took matters on his own hands and missed a couple of shots in the closing seconds of the ballgame.
Bong Bacani made life miserable for Kiosk leading scorer Ed Palma in the final quarter shadowing the ex-collegiate star in the dying seconds and never allowing him to touch the spheroid.
Palma did finish with 28 points but only 5 of them came in the crucial last 10 minutes of the match. Sampang added 10.
Forward Bong Pena went on to topscore for Bicol with 18 points to go along with 7 boards, guard Pando Muleta, ankle sprain and all, backed him up with 17, while Bert Dacumos and Junar Guiab chipped in 12 and 10.
First Game
Jollibee 89 – De Guzman 32, Dayrit 30, L. Itaas 16, R. Itaas 9, Zamora 2.
SMF-Shell 88 – Villarin 24, Calub 21, Mateo 14, Pardinan 10, Villasan 6, Apostol 6, Delfin 3, Canedo 2, Elayda 2.
Second Game
Bicol 81 – Pena 18, Muleta 17, Dacumos 12, Guiab 10, Puri 9, Bacani 7, Dayrit 4, Alvaran 2, Bartoses 2.
Kiosk San Roque 79 – Palma 28, Hernandez 10, Sampang 10, Feliciano 10, Manipon 8, Salazar 6, Saturno 3, Casabuena 2, Asuncion 2.
