CEBU - Firstank and Crao defeated their respective rivals to forge a pair of winner-take-all matches in the Allied Bank Basketball League Christmas Cup at the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Parish Gym along Escario Street, this city.
Firstank edged out Glorious Auto Supply, 50-45, while Crao escaped with a precarious 57-55 victory over the undermanned Granite Industrial Corporation.
Henry Mancera topscored for Firstank with 14 points, while Kenneth Tee paced Glorious Auto Supply with 16 markers.
The four squads will again meet on Sunday in a double knockout duel, with the winners slugging it out for the championship in a sudden-death affair.
The scores
First game
Firstank (50) - Mancera 14, Benatiro 9, Añora 8, Tan 5, Yu 4, Yap 4, Sogue 2, Astillo 2, Cenita 2
Glorious Auto (45) - K. Tee 16, Barretto 10, Ho 7, H. Ong 5, Lee 4, Gaw 3
Second game
Crao (57) - Desura 16, Laviste 11, Ajias 11, Desucatan 8, Adolfo 4, Naraja 3, Chargence 2, Ronaldo 2
Granite Industrial Corp. (55) - Lestino 23, Romo 17, Ong 5, Sanico 4, Villasica 4, Genardino 2 – EBV (THE FREEMAN)