Tempo Desk
PAGADIAN, Zamboanga del Sur – Jumbo Plastic-Basilan outclassed Petra Cement-Roxas, 89-70, and ruled the the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Leg Monday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium here.
Basilan, which swept all 10 games in the leg, now sets its sight to the Southern Finals with Visayas kings KCS-Mandaue waiting for the best-of-five showdown. The series starts on Wednesday.
The Vanguards went basket-per-basket with the Peace Riders in the first half, even grabbing the advantage at halftime, 34-32.
But they could not survive Basilan’s third quarter storm.
The Peace Riders, who hold the league’s record for most points, came through with a torrent of baskets in the third that saw them outscoring the Vanguards 35-19 for a 67-53 advantage going into the payoff period.
Basilan followed it up with 13 unanswered points to open the payoff period and establish an insurmountable 27-point spread at the 5:03 mark, 80-53.
Chris Bitoon was hailed as the Finals MVP with averages of 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 rebounds per game.
“Sobrang saya na mairepresent yung province ko tapos nag Finals MVP pa ako,” said Bitoon, whose parents hail from Basilan.
Season MVP Hesed Gabo led Basilan with 13 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Michael Juico backstopped him with 12 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
The newly-minted Finals MVP dropped 10 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
Roxas starting center Lester Reyes hit the showers early at the 3:57 mark of the second period after a hit on Basilan’s Hesed Gabo, which the officials deemed as flagrant foul penalty 2.
And that affected the Vanguards’ paint defense greatly.
Besides the honor of being Mindanao champions, the Peace Riders will also bring home P500,000 courtesy of Chooks-to-Go. The Vanguards will not go home empty-handed with P100,000.
The scores:
BASILAN 89 – Gabo 13, Juico 12, Uyloan 10, Bitoon 10, Baloria 10, Balucanag 7, Taganas 6, Mabulac 6, Manalang 6, Collado 5, Latip 3, Bringas 1, Saliddin 0, Hallare 0, Siruma 0.
ROXAS 70 – Najorda 15, Castro 13, Camacho 8, Jaime 6, Rifarial 5, Templo 5, Reyes 4, Bondoc 4, Intic 3, Elmejrab 3, Pasia 2, Deles 2, Velasco 0, Casino 0.
Quarters: 16-16, 32-34, 67-53, 89-70.
