By Adrian Stewart Co
Dumaguete Warriors pulled off a 67-65 overtime stunner over Tabogon Voyagers in the stepladder playoffs of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Visayas leg on Saturday night at the Alcantara Civic Center in Cebu.
Ronald Roy and Jaybie Mantilla delivered the goods for the fifth-seed Warriors in the extension period to escape with an upset over the much favored Voyagers, which entered the playoffs as the fourth seed.
With both teams knotted at 63-apiece, Roy converted a booming triple from the right wing to surge the Warriors ahead, 66-63, with over a minute remaining in the extension period.
The Voyagers managed to come to within 65-66 following split free throws by Jethro Sombero and Harold Arboleda before having a chance to take a lead but guard Joemari Lacastesantos was tagged with a technical foul for calling an excess timeout.
Mantilla then knocked down the technical free throw to widen Warriors’ lead to 67-65 with seven seconds left. The Voyagers had its last opportunity to force another overtime but Arvie Bringas misfired his fadeaway jumper.
Mantilla finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists, Mark Doligon added double-double 17 markers and 10 rebounds, while Roy chipped in 11 points and 12 boards for the Warriors, which will face ARQ Lapu-Lapu City Heroes in the next round.
The Heroes, for their part, also survived their knockout match in the first game last Saturday after scoring a wire-to-wire 73-69 victory over the Tubigon Bohol behind the heroics of Dawn Ochea and Reed Juntilla.
The Heroes were up by as much as 17 points, 53-36, with three minutes left in the third canto but Tubigon Bohol kept chipping away and were able to pull to within four, 61-65, after a short hook shot by Pari Llagas, 2:20 remaining in the match.
The Heroes widened the lead to 71-61 after two free throws by Ochea and back-to-back hits by Juntilla. Tubigon made its last push at 65-71 but Ochea sealed the victory for the Heroes with an inside conversion.
Ochea, a former Adamson Falcon, led the Heroes with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block while Juntilla chipped in 16 markers, 10 boards, two assists, and a steal.
BOX SCORE:
DUMAGUETE 67 – Mantilla 24, Doligon 17, Roy 11, Gabas 7, Regalado 4, Monteclaro 2, Tomilloso 2, Velasquez 0, Aguilar 0.
TABOGON 65 – Bringas 18, Lacastesantos 10, Orquina 8, Sombero 8, Delos Reyes 7, Arboleda 5, Vitug 3, Diaz 2, Bersabal 2, De Ocampo 2, Caballero 0.
Quarterscores: 17-15, 31-28, 47-38, 59-59, 67-65. /ASC, WDJ