MisOr Meteors streak to Liga final

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines  – The Misamis Oriental Meteors took the easy path to the final game of the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V Misamis Oriental Leg by eliminating Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue, 80-74, Friday evening at the Xavier University Gymnasium.

Needing a win to avoid the complications of a three-way tie, the Meteors banked on an 8-0 run powered by Neil Raneses that shattered a 70-70 deadlock and erect a 78-70 advantage with 1:25 to play. The Meteors thus swept all their three preliminary games while denying Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Rick King and coach Jun Tan a shot at their fourth weekly championship of the conference supported by San Miguel, Molten, Summit Natural Drinking Water and Accel.

Mandaue actually controlled the game for the first three periods and seemed on course for their goal of winning by nine or more markers in order to make the finals via a superior FIBA quotient. The Meteors will meet the defending National Champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños in Saturday’s finals. M. Lhuillier has won the last three Misamis Oriental Legs while the Meteors have yet to win their own at home.

Trailing by a point after three periods, 55-56, JR Gerilla conspired with Ardy Larong and Rudy Lingganay at the start of the fourth period for a 70-64 Meteors lead at the 4:29 mark. Mandaue’s Marlon Basco tied the game for the last time with back-to-back triples, 70-70.

Gerilla led the Meteors with 15 points and six rebounds followed by Egay Billones with 13 points, four assists and three steals. Axel Doruelo paced Mandaue with 17 points while Basco and Mark Magsumbol added 13 markers each.

In the first game, M. Lhuillier overwhelmed the MP Warriors of GenSan to secure the first finals slot, 97-66, in a meeting of two teams coming off overtime losses the other day.

Two players benched by coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba in their previous game set the tone early as Stephen Padilla knocked down four triples and Nat Cruz added six more points to give M. Lhuillier of Michel J. Lhuillier a commanding 31-14 lead after one period. The Warriors of Rep. Manny Pacquiao and coach Arvin Bonleon never recovered.

Mark Jeffries opened the final canto with a dunk to ignite a 10-2 run starring Mark Abadia that gave M. Lhuillier its biggest lead, 88-46. The MP Warriors countered with an 18-2 blast of their own to reduce the deficit, 64-90, but M. Lhuillier was unrelenting with Jeffries capping the blowout with another dunk for the final tally.

Ian Saladaga presided over the rout with 13 points followed by Padilla and Ogie Menor with 12 each as a total of six M. Lhuillier players had 11 points or more. Louie Medalla topped the MP Warriors with 14 followed by Jenkins Bucao and Jovanie Alih with 11, mostly during their fourth period surge.