Bravehearts spoil Harbour's title bid

TAGUIG CITY, Philippines – The visiting Ilocos Sur Bravehearts relied on terrific defense at crunch time to play the spoilers’ role and put away host Harbour Centre-Taguig Batang Global, 68-65, on the penultimate day of the Taguig City leg of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II Friday at the C. P. Tinga Memorial Hall.

Boyet Bautista, who played for Taguig last conference, sank a corner triple that shattered a 63-63 tie with 1:39 to play, 66-63. In the next sequence, Harold Sta. Cruz would then threaten for the last time with two free throws off a Christopher Baluyot foul, 65-66.

Earlier, the Warriors defeated the Red Oilers in a double overtime classic, 103-90. The two sides will meet again for the leg championship with the winner getting their first leg title of this conference supported 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).

The Warriors of Manny Pacquiao and coach Ramon Pido banged in three triples in the second overtime as the Red Oilers of Gov. Raffy Nantes and coach Oliver Bunyi simply fell apart in the marathon encounter. Louie Medalla appropriately delivered the knockout blow, a triple with 20 ticks to go, 101-88.

Medalla earlier forced the second overtime with a lay-up at the 23-second mark of the first overtime, 84-84. Regulation play ended at 76-76 on a Mark Magsumbol field goal that tied the game with 47 seconds to play.

Jonjon Gonzaga led all scorers with 23 while Coronado chipped in 20. Magsumbol paced the Red Oilers with 21 points followed by Labagala and Jorel Canizares with 16 each.