Home 
Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. ? Pampanga vs. Quezon
7 p.m. ? Laguna vs. Misamis Oriental
REIGNING national champions Misamis Oriental Meteors got their title-defense off to a flying start as they waxed hot in the fourth period to come from behind and defeat the Smart-Pampanga Buddies, 70-62, in the opening game of the Super Leg of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference 3 yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Meteors controlled the match in the first half before letting down their guards in the third canto. However, with Mark Moreno and Melvin Mamaclay hitting their mark in the final 10 minutes of play, the Meteors were able to assert their will once again en route to grabbing their first win in this crucial leg of the tournament.
MisOr grabbed a 16-13 lead after the opening stanza and were on the verge of blowing the game wide open as they erected a 29-20 lead after an 11-3 run anchored on Cebuano sniper Patrick Cabahug's hot hands from the perimeter.
But the Buddies regained their bearings and staged a 10-3 run of their own to close the gap at 30-33 at the turn.
Pampanga grabbed their first lead of the match with a three-pointer by Allan Husted that put the Buddies on top, 40-37 with 6:04 remaining in the third period.
They continued their onslaught and surged ahead, 55-48, after a sizzling 10-2 barrage behind baskets by Jonathan Aldave and Edwin Asoro.
The Meteors banked on their championship experience and rallied to take back the lead, 57-55, after forcing a host of turnovers that were deftly converted into baskets by Moreno, Mamaclay and Erian Daja.
Another inside stab by Daja followed by a trifecta by Mamaclay established a 62-57 lead for the Meteors before Ramil Tagupa put the icing on the win with a gorgeous spin and jumper combination.
Cabahug, the former University of the Visayas Baby Lancer, topped the Meteors with 19 points while Daja added 12 markers. Hans Thiele paced the Buddies with 14 points.
