Alaska gains semis; FedEx packs up

Ron Riley made three free throws off a lousy foul by Jarmaine Walker from beyond the arc with time down to 3.7 seconds and Alaska Milk booked the first berth in the Samsung PBA Governors Cup Final Four with a 74-71 decision over the fierce-fighting Airfreight 2100/FedEx ballclub last night at the Philsports Arena.

The Aces and the Express figured in a fierce and furious battle from the opening tip and their game looked headed for an overtime play until Riley got that foul from Walker on his way down from a prayer of a three-point jumper.

Riley coolly sank the three charities, shattering a 71-all deadlock and breaking the heart of the Express.

Tim Moore actually got to make an attempt to send the game into overtime but his three-point heave from the right flank of the buzzer went a little long.

Thus, the Aces escaped with the gripping victory that gave them the first slot in the semifinal round. The Uytengsu franchise will play the winner of the Talk N Text-San Miguel playoff in a best-of-five series in the semis.

"You wouldn’t believe how low the morale of the team two weeks ago. We got real lucky and we’re now enjoying an amazing feeling being there in the semis," said coach Tim Cone, whose Alaska team had teetered on the brink of elimination a few days back. Versus FedEx last night, the Aces flirted with disaster but survived while enjoying big breaks in the closing seconds.

FedEX drew level at 71-all as James Head didn’t use his head in one crucial play, committing an error and yielding a technical foul for an unsportsmanlike conduct.

Walker made the charity but gave Alaska the chance to salvage the game as he muffed a harried drive with still 12.1 seconds left to play.

To make matters worse for FedEx, Walker committed the grievous foul on Riley in the ensuing play.

The Aces held down the Express to a woeful eight-percent shooting and a mere three points in the third quarter as they seized a 65-54 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.

But the Express refused to give up the fight easily, going to Renren Ritualo, Yancy de Ocampo and Moore as they got back in the thick of things, 67-69, entering the last two minutes of play.

Moore and Walker outscored their Alaska counterparts, 35-28, in the first half as FedEx carried a 51-46 advantage over to the second half.

But it was not an all-import show for FedEx in the first half with Wynne Arboleda making his presence felt in the second period as he helped fuel a decisive run coming off the bench to relieve Dindo Pumaren. He had six points all on barreling drives. Both teams shot well from the floor in the first 20 minutes of play, figuring in five deadlocks and six lead changes. FedEx hit at a 58-percent clip and Alaska 50 percent.