Rio-Trading, SPS reach finals in Perfetto cagefest

JEDDAH: Lober Batioco eluded defenders for 20 points and was named Best Player of the game while Double V (Valle and Villalon) combined for 20 points while taking care of the rebounds and Rio-Trading clinched a spot in the finals with a 59-56 victory over Almarai in the 2012 Perfetto Basketball Tournament organized by Industrial Sports Association at Industrial City Dawah Office (ICDO) court in Industrial City Phase I on the outskirts of Jeddah.
In another weekend thriller, Ramirez and Datuin scored 33 points between them to help SPS beat Fresenius Med. Care 66-60 and into the finals.
A fired-up Batioco led Rio-Trading but Ganggay and Gregori stepped up giving Almarai a 27-25 lead at the end of the first half .
In the third quarter, Batioco showed toughness in offense while Double V kept the big men of Amarai at bay and Rio-Trading ended the third quarter ahead by five at 40-35.
In the fourth quarter, Almarai dragged Rio-Trading to an endgame battle after Gregori’s crucial seven points and Grupo three-pointer tied the score at 56.
A miscommunication between Rio-Trading players had Almarai gaining back possession with a chance to win the game, time down to 13 seconds.
But Batioco stole the ball from Alano, hit a layup and made the free throw after drawing a foul to complete a three-point play that gave Rio-Trading a place in Inter-Company Group C finals.
In Inter-Company Group B, SPS relied on the duo of Ramirez and Datuin and the hot shooting by Cristobal in the final quarter to turn back Fresenius Med. Care, which had nursed a 48-44 lead after the third quarter.
In the first two quarters, SPS players enjoyed a good chemistry on the court, playing good defense and converting easy baskets but FMC regrouped to wrest the lead in the third quarter.
Then the trio of Ramirez, Datun and Cristobal took over for SPS as the final period started.
B-Cola arranged a finals showdown with SPS by beating Bison 54-42. Tababa was named Best Player of the game with 14 points.
Powerhouse Mountain Dew followed Rio to the Inter-Company C finals after crushing Saudi Glass 74-52. Nemits Dangao was named Best Player of the game with 21 points while Zorilla added 19.
In Inter-Company A, Sleep High and Sadafco disposed of their semifinal rivals Wasalak 73-64 and Kwality Ice Cream 83-69 to set up a final clash.
Arifco beat sponsor team Perfetto 60-55 and will play either Butler or Hyper Panda in the final of the Battle of Champions division. — With Input from Janus Napuecas Gella
The scores:
Rio-Tading (59) Batioco 20, Villalon 13, Valle 7, Gelsano 7, Siazon 4, Rendon 4, Fasoy 2
Almarai (56) Velicaria 17, Alano 11, Gangay 10, Gregori 8, Grupo 3, Sarmiento 3, Baluyot 2, Alarcon 2
SPS (66) Ramirez 18, Datuin 15, Cristobal 11, Jacob 6, Impa 6, Santos 6, Antopina 2, Cruz 2
FMC (60) Antonio 18, Joaquin 13, Collado 12, Delacruz 10, Brandon 5, Santiago 2
Sleep High (73) Cudal 24, Monteza 19, Delio 13, Delioso 11, Vista 6
Wasalak (64) Morales 17, Aspa 10, Samson 8, Imuan 8, Dizon 7, Rocafort 5, Palisoc 5, San Roman 2, Jomenez 2
Mountain Dew (73) Dangao 21, Zorilla 19, Pinlac 11, Austria 7, Baflah 6, Al-Hassan 2, Manlangit 2, Dayo 2, Villaflor 2, Inamac 2
Saudi Glass (52) Gervacio 14, Morada 12, Gonzaga 8, Cruz 6, Taylor 4, Corpuz 3, Catindig 3, Magadia 2
B-Cola (54) Tababa14, El-Jay 14, Malonzo 8, Rellores 7, Mangaliag 4, Almodobar 2, Aquino 2, Capuchino 2
Bison (42) Dela Pena 12, Malonzo 7, Barrios 6, Tabing 5, Astillero 4, Palero 4, Jacob 2, Aguilar 2