MDX keeps Navy Hill finals bid alive

MDX Armatech remained in contention for a championship ticket in the Masters division of the 2009 Navy Hill Friendship Basketball League following its 91-80 victory over Garapan Gigolos Thursday night at the Garapan Basketball Court.

MDX now has a 1-1 record in the three-team playoffs and is hoping that pennant champion Chalan Kanoa Legends win against Gigolos tomorrow to arrange an MDX-Legends title tiff. The Legends downed MDX Tuesday night, 82-74.

If Gigolos upset the Legends, all three teams will have identical 1-1 slates and a quotient system will be in effect to break the deadlock. The team with the highest points in the quotient system will advance to the finals, while the last two will battle for the last finals seat.

The backcourt trio of Bernard Montano, Butch Sublemente, and Nelson Samson kept MDX in the fight, canning crucial baskets that foiled Gigolos’ repeated comeback attempts.

Garapan, behind Ferdie De La Torre’s inside baskets, moved within four, 73-77, with less than three minutes left in the game.

Montano, who had a good shooting night, nailed a long jumper to widen the gap, and then broke the Gigolos’ offensive set, allowing Sublemente to make an easy layup and give MDX an eight-point cushion, 81-73, going into the last two minutes of the game.

Garapan moved within five, 83-78, with over a minute left in the fourth period, but back-to-back baskets from Samson in a span of less than a minute finally put an end to Gigolos’ rally.

Montano led all scorers with his 36 points, making 12 of them from downtown, while Sublemente and Martin Moreno chipped in 11 apiece. Bong Malasarte and Samson also finished in double figures, tallying 10 points each.

With Montano connecting from outside, making three early triples, MDX took a 24-13 lead at the end of the first period.

Gigolos played catch up from thereon and seemed headed for an upset with De La Torre and Edil Carino leading the team’s recovery in the fourth quarter. However, Garapan’s offensive set in the last four minutes of the game saw De La Torre having limited touches and Carino making only three free throws.

De La Torre still top-scored for Gigolos with 18 points, firing 10 of them in the fourth. Adonis Macoto and Carino added 17 and 15 markers, respectively.

MDX 91 – Montano 36, Sublemente 11, Martin 11, Malasarte 10, Samson 10, Canedo 9, Galulu 2.

Gigolos 80 – De La Torre 18, Macoto 17, Carino 15, Fernandez 8, Domingo 8, Galzote 4, Abuy 4, Abuan 2.

Scoring by quarters: 24-13, 49-38, 69-57, 91-80.