Bulldogs force ‘rubber’ vs Pampanga Foton five

MANILA, Philippines - Matt Salem and Issa Gaye stepped up in the clutch as Manila National U-MFT turned back Pampanga-Foton, 111-109, in double overtime to force a sudden death in the Filports Basketball Association Second Conference Finals at the Colegio De San Sebastian gym in San Fernando, Pampanga over the weekend.

Salem fired a team-high 29 points while Issa Gaye took charge in second OT and finished with 26 markers as the Mica Tan-backed Bulldogs snared the win to level their best-of-three series at one-game apiece.

They dispute the crown at 5 p.m. today at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center.

The Toplanders took the series’ opener, 76-69, last week but sputtered in Game Two, enabling Manila NU-MFT to seal the win and stay in the title hunt in the tournament sponsored by Korgivit and Titan.

Levi Hernandez shot a game-high 35 points while Allan Mangahas had 23 markers for Pampanga Foton.

Meanwhile, Hernandez took the season MVP honors while Jawhar Purdy of Pateros Austen Morris gained the Best Player of the Conference award.

Aside from Hernandez and Gaye, others named to the Mythical First Team were Marikina Wang’s Cedric Labing-isa, Ernest Reyes of Malolos Mighty Bulsu and another Pampanga Foton player Marlon Gomez.