Mandaue ousts Cebu in Liga

 MANDAUE CITY, Philippines  – Host Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue eliminated defending National Champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños, 58-56, last Friday to arrange a date with the Misamis Oriental Meteors for the Mandaue City Leg of the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

Mark Magsumbol scored eight in Mandaue’s critical 10-0 run that gave them the lead for good, 57-55, and 2:07 to play. 

Felix Belano and Axel Doruelo then traded free throws before Mark Abadia missed the potential go-ahead triple for M. Lhuillier in the final second.

Earlier, Stephen Padilla gave M. Lhuillier its biggest lead of the match with seven minutes to go via a triple, 53-42. 

Playing on his birthday, Marlon Basco pumped in five straight points after a foul-plagued first half to threaten, 47-53. Ian Saladaga then scored M. Lhuillier’s final field goal as Mandaue’s patented defense effectively shut them down for the final six minutes.

Magsumbol paced Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Rick King with 19 points, five assists and four steals. Basco and Hafer Mondragon chipped in nine points and five rebounds each. Abadia topped M. Lhuillier with 14 followed by Padilla with 12, all from triples.

It was another sorry setback for the side of Michel J. Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba, who missed out of a weekly finale for only the second time in 19 legs and the first since the Ilocos Sur Leg of Conference II in January, 2009.

 Meanwhile, the Laguna Golden Lions of Gov. ER Ejercito and Coach Philip Cezar salvaged their first win in three games over the erstwhile undefeated Meteors of Gov. Oscar S. Moreno and Coach Jun Noel, 76-74. Despite the loss, the Meteors were already assured of a spot in the finals as early as Thursday.

 Nursing a shaky two-point edge entering the final canto, 59-57, Glenn Bolocon, EJ Feihl and Daniel Flores scored two points each to give the Golden Lions their biggest cushion, 65-57. Laguna then displayed good lead management skills as they held off the Meteors’ repeated rallies led by guards Khiel Misa and Egay Billones.

Misa drained a triple at the seven-second mark to threaten, 74-76, after which Ron Capati stole the ball but was promptly batted out of bounds by the Golden Lions with three ticks remaining. Coach Noel sued for time but in the ensuing play, the Golden Lions’ defense prevented the Meteors from hoisting a shot.

Bolocon topped Laguna with 18 followed by Flores with 13. Billones led the way for the Meteors with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. Misa ended up with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. (FREEMAN)