QC survives Taguig in Coke Hoopla

Manila, Philippines - Quezon City took Game One of the second Coca-Cola Hoopla finals, but indications point underdog Taguig is not going away quietly.

Before thousands of screaming supporters Friday, including former PBA star  Boybits Victoria, Taguig put the fear of defeat in the heart of undefeated Quezon City before going down, 91-84, the Hagonoy Gym.

With that hard-earned win over the host team, Quezon City can wrap up the title with another win at its home court in Barangay Libis and claim the top prize of P250,000 put up by Coca-Cola Export vice president for public affairs and communications JB Baylon.

 Game Two was playing at presstime.

In the duel for third place, Caloocan duplicated its second runner-up finish last year by beating Antipolo, 76-73. Caloocan settled for P75,000 and Antipolo brought home P50,000.

Unlike before, the win  did not come easy for Quezon City.

Having routed Taguig by 38 points, 109-71, during their Inter-Zonal showdown, Quezon City appeared briefly stunned when the host grabbed the lead in the second half.

Taguig, which trailed by 15 points, 49-34, at one point threatened to turn the table on its tormentor as it bombarded Quezon City with a hail of triples from Marcy Portuguez, Lawrence Pumaris and Christian Barro to wrest the lead, 55-53, and 64-59.

Unruffled, Quezon City, which had four triples, timely diffused the uprising with an 11-4 run, capped by Alvin de Leon’s treys, and then simply exchanged baskets the rest of the way to reassert its man-for-man superiority.

Taguig tasted the lead thrice in the third quarter, the last at 64-59, before Quezon City regained the upperhand, 67-64, and never looked back.

“Ang sabi ko sa kanila ‘hindi kayo mananalo kung puro puso lang. Kailangan ang tapang at tatag nang dibdib dahil nasa ibang territory kayo,’” recounted QC coach Rene Baena.

Joshua Morris Mayor finished with 18 points, but the Taguig main man was limited to only four points in the last quarter by Nico Estrella and John Boquiren, who alternately guarded him.

 “May mga detalye na hindi namin napunuan at hindi na-sustain yung offensive namin,” said Taguig coach Mixson Ramos.