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Games today :
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. – Cebu vs. Laguna
7 p.m. – Quezon vs. Misamis Oriental
The Quezon Red Oilers bounced back from their opening day loss and vented their ire on the Smart-Pampanga Buddies as they gained their first victory of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference 3 “Super Leg” in dominant fashion, winning 64-52, yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Red Oilers were ambushed by hosts and the league-leading M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños last Monday, 61-75, but shrugged the loss off and put on a stellar show against the listless Buddies, leading from the opening tip until the final buzzer.
Quezon led 15-7 after the first period and then, doubled that lead, 33-19, at the turn. A 9-0 run at the start of the third period gave the Red Oilers their biggest lead of the match at 23, 42-19, behind baskets by Jonathan Pinera, Luis Palaganas and Roberts Labagala. They eventually carried a 21-point lead, 51-30, heading into the final period.
Pampanga, which ended the elimination round in second place, gamely tried to catch up as they bombed away from behind the three-point arc and sliced the lead to just 11, 49-60, after makes from Allan Husted and Al Magpayo. The Red Oilers though, remained steady and got shots from Labagala and Bogs Raymundo to propel them to the crucial win.
The Red Oilers were led by the 13 points of Pinera and the 11 of Cebuano guard Labagala, a former player of the University of the Visayas. Magpayo was the lone player in twin digits for the Buddies with 18 points as their campaign for the national title has been put in dire peril with their second loss in as many games.
Meanwhile, the M. Lhuillier-Cebu Niños remained undefeated in this conference as they routed the Red Oilers in the main game late Monday evening. The Niños took control of the game in the second period as they overhauled a three-point deficit after the first period and turned it into a 15-point lead at halftime with a sizzling second period performance.
The Niños romped away with the lead via a 17-5 run in that stretch that gave them a 46-31 lead at halftime. They were not threatened after that barrage as they cruised to their 17th straight win. Bruce Dacia led the way with 14 points while Ariel Mepana scored 11 markers.
The Niños continue their bid for the national crown today when they face the Trace-Laguna Stallions. The Red Oilers will also be seeing action as they will be battling the reigning national titlists, Misamis Oriental Meteors in the main game at 7 p.m.
