Worldwide Steel rolls past Cokaliong Shipping in OT

Worldwide Steel completed a five-game sweep in the first round of elimination after overcoming the gritty Cokaliong Shipping Lines, 85-78, in the first overtime game of the 2006 Winners League basketball tournament last Friday at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

The Ong brothers Walter and Kent showed the way for Worldwide Steel with 59 points combined.

It was a sorry loss for Cokaliong Shipping as it led by as much as 12 points early in the fourth quarter, 62-50, behind the shooting rampage of top hitman Chester Cokaliong, who bombarded eight of his 10 triples in the second half to finish with a game-tying high 32 points.

However, the Ong brothers delivered when it mattered most as they masterminded a 10-0 run to pull Worldwide Steel within striking distance, 60-62.

Worldwide Steel went on to wrest the driver's seat at 74-72 with 9.9 seconds left in the regulation period.

Cokaliong head coach Mark Anthony Tallo then called for a timeout to draft one crucial play. It produced good result as Jack Huang hit a buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper to tie the count at 74-all, thus, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra period, the younger Worldwide Steel stalwarts wisely used their reserve energy against the obviously exhausted Cokaliong Shipping, the only 35-above squad in the six-team field cagefest, to stretch its unbeaten streak to five.

Cokaliong, who also had two rebounds, one assists and one steal, was backed up by Gilbert Gajudo with 17 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two assist although for a losing cause.

Alex Yeo had 12 points, a season-high nine assists and eight rebounds, while Huang scored nine on top of 13 rebounds and a season-high four blocks as Cokaliong Shipping slipped to third in a tie with Global Carrier and Sherilin Plastics with similar 3-2 win-loss records.

Global Carrier snatched its third win in five stars at the expense of JV Shop N Shop, 65-58. Kane Chan Lim tossed in 15 of his team-high 21 points in the first period for Global Carrier.

The scores

First game

Worldwide Steel (85) - W. Ong 32, K. Ong 27, Go 10, Cabataña 5, Razon 5, Hing 4, Po 2

Cokaliong Shipping (78) - Cokaliong 32, Gajudo 17, Yeo 12, Huang 9, Cokaliong 6, Sanchez 2

Second game

Global Carrier (65) - Chan Lim 21, Iway 15, Salvador 14, Cokaliong 8, Teson 3, Chua 2, Dy 2

JV Shop (58) - Hing 19, Gabasa 13, Sy 12, Uy 8, Iway 2, Suarez 2, Yuvallos 2