Blades stay in hunt for semis

Eddie Laure came to the rescue of the Batangas Blades, who stayed in the race for the MBA-FedEx Crossover Cup semis with a come from behind 83-80 triumph over Surigao yesterday at the La Salle Lipa Sentrum.

Laure again anchored the LBC-backed Blades sizzling fourth quarter comeback, pulling through with key hits down the stretch to foil the Warriors' rally and push Batangas to a tie with defending champion Manila at 7-6.

Laure led all scorers with 25 points, 10 in the fourth period alone while also controlling the boards with 17 rebounds. The Zamboanga City native likewise issued one assist, had three steals and swiped away two enemy attempts in an all-around game.

Another win over the Socsargen Marlins in June 6 and back to back losses by Pampanga (7-5) will enable the Blades to force a tie for the last semifinals berth. Davao (8-5) and Negros and Cebu, with identical 6-6 win-loss slates, are also still in the race but like Batangas, must win its two remaining games.