Kapatagan Buffalos edge MisOr Valientes to create 3-way tie for top spot in standings
Jonel Bonganciso of Kapatagan (in white jersey) holds the ball tightly while being defended by MisOr during their VisMin Super Cup match. | Photo from VisMin Super Cup Media Bureau.
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The BYB Kapatagan Buffalos narrowly escaped Globalport-MisOr Valientes, 63-62, in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Challenge, on Wednesday evening, December 8 at the Pagadian City Gymnasium.
With their victory, the Buffalos, Zamboanga Sibugay and the Valientes created a three-way tie in the top of the standings with a 7-4 (win-loss) records each.
MisOr went on a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to just one-point, 58-59, with Jason Ballesteros capping it off with a layup with 3:13 to go in the final period.
The Buffalos then clamped the Valientes with their tough defense, denying the latter with crucial field goals until the last second when Joseph Nalos hit a buzzer beating three-point shot, but that wasn’t enough to win the game.
This happened as, on the other end, Richard Kwong scored a putback while Edrian Lao sank both his freethrows to provide the Buffalos the slim lead until the final buzzer.
“Sobrang sayang ‘yung talo namin kagabi eh kaya sabi ko sa kanila kailangang kailangan namin itong panalo na ito para may chance pa tayo sa number 1,” said Kapatagan head coach Jaime Rivera.
(Our loss last night was really a wasted opportunity so I told them that we really needed this win to have a chance for number 1.)
Cebuanos Jonel Bonganciso and Lao led Kapatagan in scoring. Bonganciso scored 11 points with 13 rebounds while Lao also chipped in 11 markers together with seven rebounds.
Homegrown player Joel Sollano also had 11 points with four rebounds and four assists.
Mac Baracael scored 15 for the losing squad from his 6-of-14 field goal shooting and added six rebounds and three assists.
Reil Cervantes had 12 points while their other ace scorer Cebuano Joel Lee Yu was hampered with foul trouble throughout the match, getting just two points.
The Scores:
Kapatagan 63 – Bonganciso 11, Lao 11, Sollano 11, Rodriguez 9, Kwong 6, Puerto 4, Daanoy 4, Ariar 3, Manatad 2, Delfinado 2, Manalo 0.
MisOr 62 – Baracael 15, Cervantes 12, Nalos 9, Estrella 8, Ballesteros 6, Salcedo 4, Ubalde 2, Meca 2, Lee Yu 2, Caranguian 2.
Quarterscores: 16-18, 40-31, 52-49, 63-62.
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