Ozamiz survives Spring scare in NBC

Reigning NBC national champion Ozamiz Cotta shrugged off a slow start as they came from 18 points down to nip the Spring Cooking Oil, 79-78, in the Mayor Sammy Co Open Invitational Basketball Tournament on Thursday night at the Pagadian City gym.

Veteran Billy Bansil scored Ozamiz' last six points, including the game winning free throws with two seconds left to share the lead with Tribu Sugbu in their bracket.

The Cooking Oil Masters of NBC President Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla led by as much as 18 points in the third quarter only to collapse in the payoff period.

Spitfire playmaker Bob Cozy Ilanga scored 10 of his 11 points in a stirring Ozamiz rally as they took the lead for the first time, 58-57, in the game.

Spring rallied back to gain the lead, 77-73, in the final two-minute mark until Bansil caught fire to give the win to the Cotta Shrine team of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

In the other exciting game, expansion team Pagadian Explorers were held scoreless in the final 5:16 of the contest, but still held on to a nail-biting 75-74 win over Mayor Jose Galario, Jr.'s Valencia Golden Harvest.

Ex-pro Bong Marata and Ping Daja sizzled hot at the onset of the fourth quarter as they built a comfortable 75-65 lead coming back from a 12-point deficit early in the contest.

The Golden Harvest staged a big run reminiscent of its come-from-behind 70-67 win over Tribu Sugbu in the Valencia leg.

2004 NBC Find of the Year Julius Navales carried Valencia on his back and almost single-handedly brought his team to victory.

Navales' last basket with 1:41 cut the deficit to just a solitary point, 75-74, but both teams traded with missed attempts.

Valencia had a golden chance to steal the game from Mayor Sammy Co's Explorers, but center Nat Cruz missed an undergoal stab in the closing seconds.

Marata and Daja combined for 27 points, while former pros Peter Naron and Leo Bat-og added nine points apiece for Pagadian.

The Cooking Oil Masters' second setback eliminated them in the third leg of the Nature's Spring-NBC Pre-season series supported by Sulpicio Lines, Molten, Spring Cooking Oil and Prime Channel.

The scores

First game

Ozamiz (79) - Bansil 22, Ilanga 11, Guerrero 10, Basco 9, Cavan 9, Aguilar 6, Sampilo 4, Alavarado 3, Libatog 2, De Leon 2, Liangco 1

Spring (78) - Rodriguez 19, De Castro 14, Neo 13, Corbin 8, Yambao 8, Manuel 5, Reyes 4, Caceres 3, Hubalde 3

Quarterscores: 18-24, 34-46, 54-57, 79-78

Second game

Pagadian (75) - Marata 14, Daja 13, Bat-og 9, Naron 9, Dayota 7, Coldura 6, Sinco 6, Cortez 4, Quilo 3, Ayok 2, Singidas 2

Valencia 74 - Navales 14, Clavel 13, Cruz 11, Cabili 10, Bayron 9, Taligatos 9, Braga 4, Adams 2, Cesar 2

Quarterscores:16-21, 34-44, 58-62, 75-74