Welcoat forces sudden death

Welcoat unleashed a torrid run bridging the last two quarters as the Paintmasters roared to a runaway 72-53 victory over Ana Freezers last night to force a sudden death in their semifinal duel in the PBL Chairman’s Cup at the Makati Coliseum.

But it was the Paintmasters’ defense that stymied the bid of the Freezer Makers, who were held scoreless in a seven-minute stretch in the final period that enabled the defending champions to turn what had been a close contest into a rout.

Yancy de Ocampo came up with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks to power Welcoat to the victory that set up another duel on Tuesday for the other final berth.

The other championship slot will be disputed by Shark and Giv Beauty Soap, which stayed in the hunt for a final berth by routing the top-seeded Power Boosters, 58-34, Tuesday.

"The key is our defense and our offensive adjustment. We did not play the game Ana wants us to play," said Welcoat coach Junel Baculi.

With Roland Pascual scoring 10 of his 16 points in the third quarter, Ana Freezers seized a 40-39 lead but the Paintmasters put their act together and countered with their own run to race to a 48-46 edge at the end of the period.

Meanwhile, defending champion Boysen-MLQU hung tough in the clutch to repulse University of Assumption-Goldilocks, 69-63, and claim the first finals berth in the first Crystal Spring PYBL Title Cup.

Last year’s MVP Edilito Saygo, who scored 20 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished off three assists, keyed the Paint Experts’ decisive 7-0 run down the stretch to beat their rivals and secure their second straight finals appearance.

They will face the winner of the sudden death match between UP-Waterfront and Regent Cheeseballs at 12 noon today for the PYBL crown.

The Cake Experts grabbed the upperhand on Roel Galura’s free throws with 58 seconds to go but they fumbled their offensive thrust in the ensuing play, enabling the Paint Experts to wrest the lead on Saygo’s own charities.