Cebu upstages Manila, faces Quezon in final

MANILA, Philippines - Defending national champion M. Lhuillier-Cebu Niños survived the tough Manila Capitals, 85-81, in a highly physical encounter at the close of the preliminaries of the Manila leg of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II at the San Andres Sports Complex Friday.

Bruce Dacia scored back-to-back field goals that gave the Ninos of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba the lead for good with 30 seconds to play, 83-79.

The Capitals, supported by Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, had good chances to close in but Harold Sta. Cruz and Bryan Faundo could only make one free throw each for an 81-83 score at the 19-second mark. Mark Ababon then iced the game with two key free throws with seven seconds remaining, 85-81.

Earlier, Ronnie Zagala tied the game for the last time via two free throws and 1:16 to play, 79-79. The Caps led at the half, 43-35, after an eventful second period where Jam Alfad was ejected for fighting with Jercules Tangkay at the 2:08 mark and several other players were slapped warnings.

Woodraw Enriquez topped the Niños with 18 points and three assists followed by Dacia with 16 points and two steals. Zagala paced the Capitals with 14 points. Faundo had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The host Capitals of coach Junel Mendiola remained winless in three starts, continuing the woes of all home teams in the conference made possible by Smart, ML Kwarta Padala, Air 21, Accel, Burlington, Laptop Phoneshop Exchange, Nature’s Spring and Molten and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). No team has won the same leg they hosted.

The win gave the Niños a sweep of their three preliminary round games and the corresponding two-point bonus for doing such. The Ninos also formalized their entry into the leg finals against the Quezon Red Oilers.

 who eliminated the MP Warriors of GenSan in the first game, 95-81.

With both teams toting similar 1-1 win-loss cards, the Red Oilers of Gov. Raffy Nantes and Coach Oliver Bunyi turned the game wide open in the third period by erecting their biggest lead of the game, 75-52, on a rare four-point play by Ryan Regalado off Jasper Callo.

The Warriors of Manny Pacquiao and Coach Ramon Pido managed to trade the lead with the Red Oilers four times in the first period. Mark Magsumbol sank a triple that gave the Red Oilers the lead for good, 21-19. It was an all-Quezon show from there onwards.

Magsumbol led the Red Oilers with 19 points. The trio of Roberts Labagala, Ramsey Williams and Jorel Canizares followed with 11 markers each.. Bob Cozy Ilanga paced the Warriors with 20 points while Jethrone Recustodio added 15 points.

The Ninos defeated the Red Oilers by the slimmest of margins, 91-90, last Thursday.