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THE TRACE-LAGUNA Stallions clinched the last and final ticket to the Super Leg of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference 3 after they stormed the Forward Taguig on their own home floor, 70-68, in the deciding match of their wildcard series last Wednesday at the C.P. Tinga Memorial Hall in Taguig.
Cebuano forward Jan Villaver proved to be the difference-maker as he sank a three-pointer that gave the Stallions the lead for good, 69-68, with a little over a minute remaining in the game. Before that, Taguig seized the lead off back-to-back three-point plays by Jeff Sanders and Erickson Araman.
The hosts were not able to recover after that and were forced to foul Laguna's Alex Angeles, who then split his free-throws for a two-point lead with five seconds left. Taguig rushed down the court but Villaver managed to bat the ball away. Nino Marquez briefly recovered the possession, only to be stalled by Angeles at the buzzer.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the fifth seed Taguig, who entered the series armed with a twice-to-beat advantage. Sixth seed Laguna leaned on the all-around play of Angeles to take the opener last Tuesday, 83-79.
Villaver, originally from Talisay City, led all scorers with 22 points on five triples. The Stallions will join the defending National Champion Misamis Oriental Meteors, Smart-Pampanga Buddies, Quezon Red Oilers and the undefeated M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos in the five-team, seven-day tournament that will crown the next Liga Pilipinas mational champion.
BOX SCORES:
LAGUNA (70) ? Villaver 22, Grijaldo 11, Sanz 10, Losentes 9, Estrada 7, Angeles 6, Capati 2, Mangahas 2, Legaspi 1, Tolentino 0, Musni 0, Pradas 0.
TAGUIG (68) ? Sanders 13, de Castro 11, Marquez 10, Moody 9, Baluyot 6, Araman 5, Sta. Cruz 5, Reguera 3, Gatumbato 3, Gonzales 3, de Guia 0, Kiram 0.
