Surprisingly, Enriquez wasn't taken out of the floor for reasons only M. Lhuillier coach Raul "Yayoy" Alcoseba knows best.
When the dust settled, everyone discerned the rationale behind Alcoseba's ploy.
Enriquez scored seven of M. Lhuillier's last 11 points to power the Jewelers to a 62-56 conquest of the Talisay City Aquastars in a classic contest of the ML Kwarta Padala Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference the other night at the jampacked Talisay City Sports Complex.
After Enrico John Llano broke a 51-all deadlock, Enriquez sank two free throws and then completed a 3-point play off a Rino Berame foul to give the Jewelers a 58-53 breather with 1:49 left in the contest.
The Aquastars had several chances to close in, but Leo Bat-og missed two free throws and later Ken Abatayo committed a passing error.
Fortunately for Talisay, the Jewelers couldn't make one good offensive move in that instance, allowing the Aquastars to threaten for one last time at 56-58 with 21 ticks left before the final buzzer.
Enriquez, however, completed his endgame heroics by drilling in pressure-packed charities before Mike Manigo converted a layup to peg the final count.
With Bruce Dacia, Leo Bat-og and Jessie Lumantas around to compliment 6-foot-7 skyscraper Rino Berame and high-leaping forward Morsie Akad, the Talisay Aquastars of head coach and MLSDF executive director Eddie Ybañez looked formidable.
But M. Lhuillier caught the Aquarstars by surprise as the Jewelers sprinted to a 17-point advantage, 30-13, early in the second period.
Behind he efforts of Dacia, Bat-og, Akad and Kim Calo, the Aquastars forged a see-saw battle to the delight of the raucous, but very appreciative Talisaynon spectators that filled the sports complex to the hilt.
The Aquastars could have even grabbed the lead, but Dacia made only one free throw to even the count at 47-all at the final 7:24 mark of the contest.
The last time the Aquastars tied the count was at 51-all as the diminutive, but courageous playmaker Enriquez took matters into his own hands to prevent M. Lhuillier from suffering what could have been its first ever back-to-back defeats.
The Jewelers lost to the Cebu Landmaster-Mantawi, 79-83, in the Visayas Division opener last October 19 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.
Enriquez topped M. Lhuillier with 16 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Stephen Padilla and Manigo chipped in with 21 points combined. Llanto scored only eight, but held his ground against the taller Talisay frontcourt to collect a game-high 14 rebounds on top of three blocks.
Dacia finished with 13 points followed by Bat-og with 11 for the Aquastars, who hope to bounce back from their setback when they collide with Cebu Landmaster-Mantawi of realtor Joe Soberano in today's lone match at 6:30 pm in Mandaue City.
Over at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City, Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr roared to its fifth consecutive win in as many games by repeating over the Iligan Archangels, 77-68.
MisOr had a poor 1-12 start until Gilbert Demape scattered 16 points spanning the first and second periods to seize control of the game by halftime, 39-37.
A triple by Bob Cozy Ilanga broke the final tie of the game, 44-41, and it was an all-MisOr show from there as the team of MVBA Chairman Gov.Oscar S. Moreno and coach Rex Salvana registered their biggest lead of the game early in the final canto, 73-55.
Demape finished with a game-high 24 points followed by Ilanga with 18.
Jeffrey France paced the now 1-3 Archangels of Mayor Lawrence L. Cruz and Coach Ed Arugay with 21 while Dino Cabili and Sammy Ayodelle added 17 and 13, respectively.
The scores First game
M. Lhuillier-Cebu (62) - Enriquez 16, Padilla 11, Manigo 10, Llanto 8, Aying 6, Ocanada 6, Piodo 3, Rodriguez 2
Talisay (56) - Dacia 13, Bat-og 11, Berami 6, Lumantas 6, Akad 5, Calo 5, Carretas 4, Abatayo 3, Garcia 3
Quarterscores:17-10, 35-25, 47-41, 62-56 Second game
Holcim Pryce-MisOr (77) - Demape 24, Ilanga 18, Mendoza 9, Nailon 7, Numeran 6, Huelar 4, Apepe 4, Barbosa 3, Jabagat 2
Iligan (68) - France 21, Cabili 17, Ayodelle 13, Sereno 5, Gloria 5, Oliveros 4, Canoy 2, Cosingan 1
Quarterscores:14-16, 39-37, 64-53, 77-68