Carrier, Shadow Lounge delight in Friendi-WPBL event

Carrier Juffali and Shadow Lounge, the strongest teams on paper widely tipped to meet for the Inter-Commercial Open Rated championship, delighted the fullhouse weekend crowd with their brand of quality basketball as they rumbled to victories in the 1st Friendi Basketball Tournament presented by all new WPBL at the Ahmed Khaki Sports Complex (Orca) court here.
Carrier brought down Nunungan Lakers 99-94 in the nightcap Thursday in a result that brought Carrier’s record to 2-0 and Nunungan to 2-1.
Carrier made the game of basketball look easy, wowing the crowd with above the rim plays starring beanpole Ubalde, Matias and old hand Elamparo.
And Carrier has an answer each time the Lakers threaten to mount a run.
The Best Player of the game, beanpole Ubalde, scored 28 points, using his height to stuff a putback basket 94-91 in the final minute of the exciting contest after Nunungan had come to within a point 92-91 on a free throw by Christian Guimpatan before Adaya’s defensive rebound led to the Ubalde putback.
Point guard Yutuc then took over where Ubalde left off, scoring the last five points of the game.
To its credit Nunungan refused to fold even when Carrier seemed to be in total control, coming back from an eight-point deficit 79-71 in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and 91-85 in the last two minutes.
Nunungan literally lived and died with the shooting arms of Diego Domalogdog who had to be helped off the court when he suffered leg cramps in the waning seconds.
Francis Magat’s Shadow Lounge enjoyed a weekend double. Thursday, its Inter-Commercial Open Rated Division A defeated West Tower Contracting Corp. 96-92 thanks mainly to Best Player Ron Magat whose night-high 46 points including key free throws that iced the victory.
Returning to the court the next day, it was Roby David’s turn to sizzle as the former Hapee Toothpaste point guard hit 19 points in Shadow Lounge’s 86-72 win over Thunderous Marogong in their Inter-Commercial Open Rated clash.
Hitting threes and driving to the hoop David took charge for Shadow Lounge, which paraded a new coach in veteran Boy Corsega and a towering player Senegalese Mohammad Jouf, in the fourth quarter.
Despite the height and size provided by Arab players Walid Kattab, Salman and Wehdan Marogong could only trim the gap to three, 57-54, late in the third quarter as Shadow Lounge controlled the game all night long, taking a 13-point spread, 81-68 on two free throws by Magat with 2:45 to play.
In other regular WPBl games, Duke Hammadi finally won after two defeats against Saudi Amanah Contracting Co. 80-69 in the Open Non-Rated C, Computer Diagnostics downed Unidecor Dynamics 82-71 in Non-Rated A and Greeenland defeated Ate Aida’s Catering 103-99 in Open Non-Rated C.
In the 10th KFAFH Inter-Department organized by United Filipino Workers of King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital (UFWORK), Admin continued to set pace in Group A at 4-1 after beating Housekeeping 94-70 in the first game Friday.
Engineering A, second to Admin at 3-1, emerged an easy 80-58 winner over CSSD Warriors in the second game Friday.
Thursday’s games saw Porter beat Engineering B 67-50 and HRD down Housekeeping 76-68.
This tournament within a tournament is sponsored by Indomie courtesy of Prabowo Kuswardono, national sales manager, and Omar Alawi, marketing manager, and Jollibee. Team sponsors are: Jeddah Dental Supply, Gulf Medical Co., Johnson & Johnson, Al-Jeel Medical & Trading Co. Ltd., Al Eshar Construction, Gazi Trading Est., Falcon Heat Changer Coil, Universal Coil, Ahmed Nahji & Al Soam Trading, El Ajou and Canon Therefore.