Landmasters shock Niños but will clash anew today for Cebu City leg title of Liga Pilipinas

CEBU, Philippines - The RDAK-Mandaue Cebu Landmasters scored a monumental victory they wished was already the real deal.

Games today

For third

4 pm MisOr vs. Ilocos Sur-CS Tigers

Championship

6 pm RDAK-Mandaue Landmasters

vs. M. Lhuillier-Niños

Nevertheless the Landmasters, once a ragtag hardcourt crew who are always mired down the rear, gained a certain measure of respect after they crushed the previously undefeated M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños, 78-68, in the so-called final preview of the Cebu City Leg of SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

The stunner of a triumph was without question a morale-booster for the Landmasters of team owner Joe Soberano and coach Jun Tan, but the RDAK-backed squad must brace for one big war as the Niños - with their ego bruised and pride wounded - will surely unload all the armaments they have in their offensive arsenal in a bid to avenge that stinging defeat as they square off once more at 6:00 tonight for the coveted title.

The manner by which the Landmasters weaved such magic was admirable as they have to overhaul a 16-point deficit midway in the third period to record what is by far the league’s biggest upset this conference.

Trailing at 47-31, the Landmasters showed great recovery as they responded with a blistering 26-8 rally to wrest the upperhand, 57-55, going into the final quarter.

And they were not yet done from there.

The Landmasters, armed with red-hot outside shooting and rock-solid defense that grounded the Niños offense for most part of the final half, greeted the payoff period with a 17-4 spark to establish their biggest lead at 15 points, 74-59, with only three minutes left to play. That left the M. Lhuillier mainstays groping for form the rest of the way as they could not even trim the deficit down to a single digit.

Flashy wingman Mark Magsumbol made an impression to his former team as he topscored for the Landmasters with 16 points in another sterling display of consistency on both ends of the court. Jan Philip Villaver added 11 markers followed by Hafer Mondragon with 10 as they seek to assert their mastery over the Niños although they have to wade through deep waters to achieve that feat.

Uncharacteristically for the Niños, only one player submitted double figures in Felix Belano, Jr. with 10 points. (FREEMAN)