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Shirley’s survives MBI in Game 1
Shirley’s Coffee Shop’s Sean Rabasto drives against three MBI/Anchor defenders during the fourth quarter of Game 1 of their title series in the JP World caging last Wednesday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Matt Duenas, Elmer Esdrelon, and Sean Rabasto bailed Shirley’s out of trouble, as the team played without Lerio Pagarao in the entire game and Erick Dela Rosa in the last 6:55 of the fourth quarter.
Pagarao had to attend to his pregnant wife, while Dela Rosa was ejected from the game after an altercation with MBI/Anchor’s White Capalad. The confrontation happened after the two players jockeyed for position in the rebound play with Dela Rosa claiming he was kicked by Capalad, who on the other hand, accused the former of elbowing him.
Players from both camps and the referees quickly stepped in to break up the two players, but Shirley’s later failed to pacify Dela Rosa, who went to the officials table and continued to complain. Both players were then slapped with a warning, but Dela Rosa’s infraction was converted to a technical foul because he got his first warning earlier in the first half. He was eventually ejected from the match for crossing the line and going to the officials’ table.
MBI/Anchor was awarded a technical free throw, but Ivan Devero missed. The team also had another trip to the foul line for a technical foul, which was called against Shirley’s bench, as it failed to bring Dela Rosa out of the playing court. Dela Rosa’s booboo did not end there, as he flashed a dirty finger before leaving the court. MBI/Anchor’s Angelo Fernando canned the technical charity to tie the game, 74-all, as Art Trajano earlier made a point-blanked shot.
Seeing his team in danger, Esdrelon stepped up and scored four straight points off a jumper and an incomplete 3-point play to give Shirley’s more cushion, 78-74, Shirley’s never looked back from thereon with Rabasto and Duenas canning clutch baskets and MBI/Anchor committing costly errors.
Duenas drilled four of Shirley’s last five field goals in the final four minutes of the match, including the icing on the cake in the remaining 1.7 seconds of the intense game. Rabasto converted a fastbreak layup against two MBI/Anchor defenders, as Shirley’s threatened to up its lead to twin digits, 82-74.
The diminutive point guard also made a big defensive stop under the two-minute mark, as he forced Fernando to commit a backing violation instead of escaping with a breakaway layup. It was a frustrating final two minutes for Fernando and MBI, as he was earlier blocked by Esdrelon on his way to a baseline shot. Also a few possessions earlier, Pete Lizama threw a wild pass to Devero and Shirley’s turned the turnover into points with Rabasto on the finishing end.
Esdrelon and Duenas top-scored for Shirley’s, firing 23 points each, while Dela Rosa, who is now barred from playing in the remaining games of the best-of-three title series, left the match with 11 markers. Rommel Usi contributed 9 to somehow make up for the absence of Pagarao, while Rabasto added 8, 6 of them came in the second half.
Fernando paced MBI/Anchor with his 25 points, while Capalad and Lizama logged 18 each, but the latter had only two field goals in the second half. Devero was also a missing link on MBI/Anchor’s offense, as he scored only 8 points.
With both teams knowing the importance of winning first in a short series, neither squad seemed willing to give in as shown in their scores in the first three quarters: 20-20, 47-46 (MBI ahead), 69-67 (Shirley’s on top). There were 13 deadlocks, according to game announcer Alvin Alvarez, while lead changes were also more than 10.
MBI/Anchor forced the last standoff, 74-all, but Shirley’s showed poise in the end to extend its winning run in the league to 10.
Meanwhile, Game 2 will be played tonight at 7pm with Shirley’s hoping for a sweep and an unbeaten record in the inaugural season and MBI aiming to extend the series.
Shirley’s 89 – Duenas 23, Esdrelon 23, Dela Rosa 11, Usi 9, Rabasto 8, Drillon 4, Manibusan 3, Jugos 3, Aguilar 2.
MBI/Anchor 80 – Fernando 25, Capalad 18, Lizama 18, Trajano 10, Devero 8, Garcia 1.
Scoring by quarters: 20-20, 46-47, 69-67, 89-80.
