It was the other way around in Division I best-of-three titular showdown as Asian Home Appliance '89/93, despite playing without its top gunner Allan Leith Ting, shocked Armour Wood '81/85 via close 60-58 decision to live and fight for another day.
Asian Home Appliance '89/93 and Armour Wood '81/85 will settle things out in the deciding Game 3 this Thursday starting at 7:30pm , with the winner slugging it out against Class '96 in a best-of-three series for the 2006 CECABA crown.
Wilby Tan became the man of the hour for Class '89/93 as he unloaded a season-best 26 points, eight in the first quarter that towed Class '89/93 to an early 18-12 lead.
Ryan Alexis Mendez chipped in 15 markers for Class '89/93, which protected a six-point edge after three quarters, 48-42, and held on to a crucial victory.
Joel Chan topped Class '81/85 with 18 points, while Stephen Lee, after posting a season-high 32 points in their 85-79 win during the series opener, was limited to only 14 points this time.
Wilson Yu added 12 points for Class '81/85. The missing link was ace slotman Edvin Kaw, who was handcuffed to a season-low three points.
Earlier, Shaun Christopher Wang and Gerald Go cashed in 16 points apiece, while Dreyfuss Ang and Rogelio Donayre combined for 23 markers for Class '96, which ripped the game apart with a
39-22 advantage at the turn.
Class '96 launched its third wave of attack, 24-24, in the third quarter to mount an imposing 27-point bulge, 63-36, that kept Class '95 wobbling the rest of the way.
Dean Dy Teves of Class '95 was totally not saddened by their loss as he scored 17 points to exactly breach the 1,000-point plateau. Donald Anthony Ting had 15 points, while Archie Gue added 13 in a losing cause.
The scores
First game
Class 1996 (79) - Wang 16, G. Go 16, Ang 13, Donayre 10, Babor 7, Ong 7, A. Chua 5, G. Chua 3, Baron 2
Class 1995 (55) - Teves 17, Ting 15, Gue, 13, Yu 8, Tiu 2 Second game
Class '89/93 (60) - Tan 26, Mendez 15, Ng 7, Ong 5, Chua 4, Ting 3
Class '81/85 (58) - Chan 18, Lee 14, Yu 12, Wong 9, Kaw 3, Tan 2