Cokaliong off to finals: To clash with Worldwide Steel in best-of-three finals

He's only a jack, but he turned out to be an ace.

Jack Huang sparkled with a season-high 27 points capped by a killer free throw with no time left in the game, lifting Cokaliong Shipping Lines to a 68-67 nail-biter over Sherilin Plastics in their knockout duel last Sunday in the 2006 Winners' League basketball tournament at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

Thus, Cokaliong Shipping arranged a best-of-three title showdown with Worldwide Steel, which booked the remaining finals ticket after terminating Global Carrier in ruthless fashion, 60-42, behind a combined 40-point show by Ong brothers Walter and Kent.

The Cokaliong-Sherilin showdown was one for the books, partially thanks to the ill-advised foul by Sherilin's Marlon Gaw on Huang.

With the score locked at 67-all with six-tenth of a second left to play, Huang was swiftly fouled by Gaw after receiving an inbound pass from Gilbert Gajudo.

Because the game clock expired already, Huang needed to convert only one free throw to wrap up the match and send Cokaliong Shipping to championship round. He cooly did it right in his first attempt, prompting the rest of Cokaliong bench to burst in frenzied celebration.

Aside from Huang, who added seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists in an all-around show of hardcourt brilliance, this season's scoring champion Chester Cokaliong and Gajudo also deserved to be given credit for their never-say-die spirit when it mattered most.

Cokaliong was held off to only 11 points, but knocked in a pair of significant 3-pointers that proved to be a spark plug for his team's spirited comeback in the final stretch.

When Sherilin Plastics almost headed to victory with a 64-60 lead in the final 41 seconds, Chester Cokaliong flashed a ray of hope to his comrades by dropping a crucial three-point bomb off a crafty assist by his younger brother Christopher that pulled them within 63-64.

As Sherilin stayed on top, 67-65, Chester again made an attempt on the same spot, but misfired this time. Fortunately, Gajudo picked up the offensive rebound and then muscled his way to an undergoal stab to even the count at 67-all with 15 seconds to go.

Sherilin Plastics had a chance to seal the win, but Mendel Lopez flubbed a hurried shot. The Cokaliong Shipping standouts got the defensive rebound and aided by a stroke of luck, they pulled off one big surprise.

Just when everybody thought of an overtime, Gaw changed it all by hacking Huang that resulted into a disastrous foul for Sherilin's side.

Knowing that the hope of his team rests on his shoulders, Huang flashed nerve of steels in making his free throw. That was all they needed as Cokaliong Shipping showed once more that experience is indeed sharper than youth.

Capitalizing on their fresher legs, the Sherilin mainstays easily overhauled an early 15-point deficit, 7-22, only to wilt under a renewed and courageous fightback by the exuberant Cokaliong Shipping - the only 35 years old and above squad in the six-team field tilt.

Gajudo was shut down to a season-low four points, but had 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Alex Yeo contributed 14 points and four steals for Cokaliong Shipping, which face another uphill climb against Worldwide Steel in the race-to-2 finals that will begin this Friday.

The missing factor for Sherilin was its ace gunner Jeremy Huang, who was handcuffed to a measly nine points after being checked by the alternating defense of Wellington Chan Lim, Christopher Cokaliong, Emil Mercado and Nelson Palomas.

The scores

First game

Cokaliong Shipping (68) - Huang 27, Yeo 14, Cokaliong 11, Sarmiento 6, Cokaliong 4, Gajudo 4, Mercado 2

Sherilin Plastics (67) - Lopez 17, Iway 15, Huang 9, Ong 6, Yap 6, Fortich 5, Mercado 5, Gaw 4 Second game

Worldwide Steel (60) - W. Ong 25, K. Ong 15, Razon 10, Go 4, Hing 3, Sy 3

Global Carrier (42) - Salvador 10, Huang 7, Iway 7, Kokseng 7, Chan Lim 6, Dy 3, Jacalan 2