RIYADH, 20 April 2004 — WEMOWA-Extra and Odyssey started their semifinal campaigns in the same way they finished the eliminations — unbeaten — but not after quelling stiff challenges from separate opponents in the first Mindanao Overseas Workers Friendship Basketball Tournament for the Arab News Cup here.
Abdulgafur Ibno just missed a triple double performance with 10 points 11 rebounds and eight assists, while team captain Mohammad shot 21 points and Misuari added 15 as WEMOWA-Extra hammered out a 75-66 victory over Rockland. The win was not as comfortable as the score would indicate.
Extra just caught the breaks and put paid to Rockland’s hopes which had come alive when Macapaar keyed a comeback in the stretch, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Oddysey lost prolific scorer Lidasan to fouls in the last three minutes but Ibrahim ably filled in his shoes to score six points in the last three minutes including the insurance basket in the 89-85 triumph over WRJ Cargo.
Resuming their suspended weather-affected game, Odyssey wrested the initiative after falling behind by as many as 10 points when Haile hit a triple, 69-67. The high-leaping Lidasan left the game with his fifth and final foul after making 21 points and Odyssey up by four at 79-75, time down to 3:10.
In a thrilling match that kept the crowd on their feet, WRJ Cargo, behind the snippings of Mangotara, twice came to within two points and put the game in the balance until Ibrahim’s heroics preserved Odyssey’s victory.
Collecting a pass from the left wing, Ibrahim unleashed an awkward-looking desperation banked shot that went in with 20 ticks left after Ampaso’s undergoal stab enabled WRJ to threaten for the last time at 87-85.
On WRJ’s possession, Mangotara badly missed, Haile then grabbed the defensive rebound that helped Odyssey ran out the clock. Badawi top scored for Odyssey with 27 points, Ameril made 22 and Haile 9, while Mangotara paced WRJ with 31 points to go with 16 by Miraato and 15 by Ampaso.
Ibno, loved as much by the crowd for his ballhandling and passing skills as for his striking resemblance, in facial features, at least, to NBA hero Michael Jordan, was the glue that kept Extra together in tandem with backcourt partner Mohammad.
Hitting the open man, directing ball traffic besides scoring, Ibno, nicknamed Jordan, issued the pass that triggered a closing 9-2 run that stopped cold the Rockland rally in the last five minutes. The shot clock was running out and Rockland, after a completed steal by Macapaar, looking to tie the count when Ibno fed Mohammad to give Extra a 68-64 lead.
In the return play, Ibno pulled a defensive gem, stripping Inter-hotels veteran Boogie Dibaratun of the ball which he then passed to Samson for another twinner, before Mohammad completed the sequence with back-to-back baskets helped in between by a Misuari defensive rebound.
Misuari, Adam and Mohammad had earlier conspired to give Extra their biggest lead of 12 points at 56-44 late in the third quarter.
To the credit of referees Julio Caringal and Bogs Loremas, the games were well under control. Sultan led Rockland with 22 points, while power-playing Dibaratun added 18.
The semifinal battle is expected to shift to high gear when the opening-day winners clash in what could well be the preview of the championship showdown.
