AUTOLAB Batch 1999 failed to complete a sweep of the elimination round in division B after they got upset by Batch 1995, 62–66, in the PLDT SME Nation-Alfredo Gothong 21st SHAABAA Cup basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Ateneo de Cebu basketball courts along Mango Avenue.
Ian Ong waxed hot for Batch 1995 as he scored 26 points to give his team its fifth win in 11 tries while handing AutoLAB its first defeat in the tournament.
Though AutoLAB and Batch 1997 finished the elimination round with identical 10–1 win-loss records, the former still managed to nab the top seed after it bested the latter in their only encounter so far in this competition.
Neil Elumba added 15 while Rhett Tomakin had 12 for Batch 1995, which ended up eighth in the standings.
Kent Ong led the way for AutoLAB with 24 while Jeremy Huang scored 20.
In other matches, White Gold Club 1996 and Core Pacific 2000 forged a three-way tie at the end of this round after emerging with wins over their respective rivals.
White Gold Club defeated Dynacast 2001, 58–53, as Junie Alejandro exploded for a whopping 34 markers.
Core Pacific, on the other hand, leaned on the 22 points of Serg Al Go Bui, to beat Batch 1993, 49–43.
Dynacast, White Gold Club and Core Pacific all finished with the same 7–4 card, just behind Choobi Bay Crab and Shrimp 1991’s 8–3 record.
Already waiting in the finals of division A is the top-seeded Cebu Landmasters, who did not need their twice-to-beat advantage to dispose of Bayfront Hotel Cebu, 63–62, in the semifinals.
The other finals spot however, is still up for grabs between Harley Davidson and Gaisano Capital after the former defeated the latter, 71–64, last weekend. They will square
off again in a winner-take-all match this weekend at the Ateneo de Cebu campus in Canduman, Mandaue City.