JEDDAH: Jeddah Guards denied Friendster-New Cabalen Restaurant a chance for a championship triple when they beat Cris Melebo’s Open Rated B Reinforced team in their knockout game 85-70 during the 9th and penultimate week in the 1st Orient Watch Cup and 11th Filsama Basketball League Conference at Star Clubs Gymnasium in Faisaliyah District here.

A day after Friendster won two successive knockout games the hard way Thursday night against Airnet Sume 85-84 in the Above 40 Division and against Dabarkads 70-68 in the Non-Rated Division, the stage was set for another KO match against Hassan Zeineddein’s Guards though this time it had to not only win but win by at least eight points under the goal average tiebreak system.

Fat chance. Friendster had looked to fall easy prey for the Guards who took control of the match as they duplicated their first round victory by 7 points in the centerpiece division where coach Zeineddein and the Guards will meet Francis Magat’s Uncle Majid-Panino’s in two-game championship series.

Pounding their way inside to the basket with their height and heft, the Guards had Zuriek leading all scorers with 29 points to go with the 19 points by Jebae and 12 by Fattal.

Lisztian Amparado and Nemitz Dangao led the Friendsters’ losing cause with 18 and 17 points respectively. Greason added 10 points.

Thursday, Friendster had its hands full against an Airnet team it was expected to handle easily. The trio of Castillo, Jameel Khobre and Barry Nader carried the fight for Friendster on 23, 16 and 13 points in that order. Dindo Gono showed the way at Airnet on 28 points with Tobeo on 21 and Baldoz on 16.

The victory set Friendster up to a championship match against Philcon E-Life Generals in the Above 40 Division.

Pushed to a winner-take-all while losing its twice to beat edge following the Dabarkads’ 90-68 triumph the previous week, Friendster narrowly won in the decisive match despite Rey Razon shooting a night-high 41 points, as it arranged a Non-Rated Division title clash with Pinky’z. Villegas was the only other double-digit scorer for Friendster on 10 points.

The young Dabarkads squad got 26 points from Romero, 19 from Luna and 16 from Ricasa.

Tournament major sponsor is Orient Watch -Al Husseini & Al Yahyah Investment Group. The other league backers are Western Union, LBC Cargo Hari ng Padala, Cruzado Perfume and Virgin Mobile.