Iloilo paraded Eduardo Allado, Jr. and Francis Sanz for the first time in the MVBA and the two immediately made their presence felt as they helped the Warriors snap out of their five-game slump in the league backed by ML Kwarta Padala, Cokaliong Shipping Lines, Molten, Panasonic, Nature's Spring Drinking Water, and Sulpicio Lines.
Allado fired 17 points, while Sanz chipped in 12 markers, enough to offset the nine-point output of Elvin Senieres, Iloilo's top scorer in their past five games.
Badly needing a victory to keep their flickering semifinal hopes alive, the Warriors delivered at the right place and at the right time, pulling off a crucial win right at their own backyard to leave the West Negros College (WBC)-Talisay City Mustangs as the only winless team in the Visayas Division.
For three quarters, the Iloilo cagers executed their gameplan on both ends of the court with finesse to take a seven-point edge, 55-48, entering the final 10-minute zone of the contest.
The Warriors then threw a porous defensive blanket in the payoff period to rebuff a last ditch rally by the Mantawi Traders of Mayor Thadeo Ouano and Eddie Ybañez.
Except for Doroteo Almacin who finished with 10 points, no other Mantawi player cashed in double figures. The Traders' twin towers in 6-foot-5 Randy Sevilla and 6-foot-7 Rino Berame were held off to only eight and seven points, respectively.
Jay-R Pepito, Morsie Akad, Kim Calo, and Joseph Guangco connived for 30 points, but their efforts went futile as Mantawi suffered its fourth defeat in seven starts.
Over in Iligan City, the fourth-seed Montana Pawnshop-Davao Jewels shocked top seed Iligan City, 87-69, to gain a 1-0 upstart in their best-of-three Mindanao Division semifinal series at the MSU-IIT Gym.
The Jewels can wrap it up tomorrow at their home turf in Panabo City, Davao del Norte and gain a spot in the Mindanao Division finals.
The Armando Quibod-owned Jewels started hot and raced to a 29-14 advantage after the first period behind the 10 points of high-leaping forward Dado Ayson. Iligan never recovered from Montana's initial salvo.
Montana skipper Randy Panerio then waxed hot in the third canto, firing 14 markers including a triple that gave his side their biggest lead of the game, 67-40.
Panerio finished with 24 points while Ayson followed with 19.
Erickson Araman led Iligan with 14 followed by Aries Gloria with 12. Sundays' debacle marked Iligan's first loss at home and gave them the tough task of sweeping the next two games.
The scores
First game
Toyota-Iloilo (67) - Allado 17, Sanz 12, Senieres 9, Sinco 8, Leonida 4, Balgos 4, Antenor Cruz 4, Robillos 3, Ganzon 2, Bautista 2, Sencil 2
Mantawi (64) - Almacin 10, Pepito, Sevilla 8, Akad 8, Berame 7, Calo 7, Akad 7, Ducay 6, Yuson 2, Garcia 1
Quarterscores:19-15, 38-32, 55-48, 67-64
Second game
Montana-Davao (87) - Panerio 24, Ayson 19, Bajenting 10, Dawal 10, Quibod 8, Bonifacio 6, Abanes 5, Te 3, Coquilla 2
Iligan City (69) - Araman 14, Gloria 12, Tundag 10, Bognot 8, Pening 6, Pendang 5, Bangloy 5, Sereno 4, Baguio 4, Cosingan 1
Quarterscores: 29-14, 46-33, 71-47, 87-69