Friendi Mobile and Saudi Binladen Group D’ Inspectors won contrasting semifinal knockout games to arrange a showdown for the Inter-Commercial Non Rated B championship even as Moulinex claimed its place in the Non Rated A final opposite Marogong in the 1st Friendi Basketball Tournament presented by all new WPBL at the Ahmed Khaki Sports Complex (Orca) court here.
In a highly charged game during the 13th week of the tournament on Thursday, Friendi Mobile brought down Sultanate Masiu 83-78 to follow SBG D’ Inspectors into the final. Friendi and D’ Inspectors clash at 11:30 p.m. today to open their best-of-three championship battle.
Earlier in the night, D’ Inspectors ran roughshod over Petromin Oils 104-76.
George Pascual played like a one-man wrecking crew for Friendi, shooting, defending and hustling for the ball as Friendi, which also gained valuable contribution from Jay Razal, used a 10-0 blast to begin the third quarter to take control of the tight contest.
Although Masiu kept coming back and managed to cut Friendi’s eight-point lead, 78-70, to two at 80-78 on a trey by Ismael with 1:46 to play Friendi refused to budge with Pascual scoring the team’s last three points.
The first half was tied 41-41 and Masiu held a three-point lead, 63-60, when the third quarter ended.
Moulinex had little trouble dispatching Computer Diagnostics 74-63.
Moulinex and Marogong faced off last night at the start of their best-of-three title series.
Nexus defeated Nesma 92-83 in the nightcap Friday. The win created a tie between the teams but Nexus took the No. 4 spot in the Non-Rated C semifinal by virtue of a better goal average over Nesma.
Nesma joins Greenland, BTC-Baud Telecom Co. and Shakbah Makkah & Taif into the final four. Greenland and Nexus knock each other out in the first semifinal game in the division at 10 p.m. today. As usual, the weekend started with a triplebill in the 10th KFAFH Inter-Department organized by United Filipino Workers of King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital (UFWORK).
In Thursday’s games, Warehouse whipped Academic Affairs 95-77, Housekeeping demolished Nursing 73-39 and Portering downed Admin-Canon 78-68. Friday, CSSD authored another lopsided victory, 71-46 against BME; Housekeeping walloped Engineering A 84-64 and Dietary defeated HRD 77-61.
Clash of the Champions
Meantime, WPBL Commissioner Frank James Roxas said his group in cooperation with sponsor Sky Freight-TFC will organize the Clash of the Champions Eid El Ftir Exhibition Games Aug. 18-19 at the WPBL homecourt.
The two-day event will feature exciting new players from Riyadh and Yanbu in addition to the stable of stars from host Jeddah. For further details, contact Roxas at 0565079459.
