Home 
The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños kept their undefeated record intact as they escaped with a heart-stopping 70-66 victory over fellow Cebu squad, Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue in the 4th leg of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference 3 last Wednesday at the Arturo Lugod Memorial Sports and Cultural Center in Gingoog City.
The Niños trailed for most of the game until versatile forward Bruce Dacia came up with a back-breaking three-pointer in the waning moments of the tightly-contested match to power the former national champions to the victory.
Dacia, the Cebu leg MVP, finished with 23 points while spitfore guard Woodraw Enriquez added 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The loss was a bitter pill for the Landmasters of Joe Soberano as they held the lead until Dacia's heroics down the stretch.
Former M. Lhuillier ace Jercules Tangkay almost made his former squad pay as he tallied 19 points, five rebounds and two steals. Forward Jerome Cenita added 12 points.
Meanwhile, reigning national champions Misamis Oriental Meteors opened their title defense bid in style as they came all the way back from 18 points down to edge the GenSan-MP Warriors, 75-73, in the main game.
The Meteors played lackadaisically in the first half and they were made to pay for it by Jonjon Gonzaga and Dennis Concha, who connived with one another to give the Warriors of boxing superstart Manny Pacquiao a 40-28 lead at the turn.
Misamis Oriental turned the game around in the second half with a frenetic full-court press that rattled their opponents into careless turnovers which were promptly turned into easy points.
Guard Lyndon Gudez, playing in his second Liga conference, led the winners with 21 points via four triples.
Patrick Cabahug, who last played for the Meteors in the Conference I playoffs, returned to the roster and made 13 points.
