Niños, Meteors set up final battle

CEBU, Philippines - The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños and the Misamis Oriental Meteors last night trounced separate foes to stay unbeaten after two games that set them up for a grand final showdown in the Cebu leg of the Tournament of the Philippines (TOP), a joint venture of Liga Pilipinas and Philippine Basketball League (PBL), at the Cebu Coliseum.

Games today (Cebu Coliseum)

5 pm Mandaue vs. Taguig

7 pm Cebu vs. MisOr

The Niños of team owner Michel J. Lhuillier and decorated coach Raul “Yayoy” D. Alcoseba spoiled a breakthough night by John Villaver as they survived a torrid 3-point sniping by the Mandaue Landmasters to eke out a 114-110 win,while  the Meteors lost a 31-point lead but turned to the hot hands of spunky playmaker Khiel Misa in the windup to repulse Hobe Bihon-Taguig Global City, 107-92.

Villaver nailed an all-time record for the most points scored in a regulation period with 34. He also knocked in seven triples as Mandaue set another league record for the most 3-pointers made in a single game with 18.

Cebu and Mandaue also set a milestone for the highest final outcome combined with 224.

But the Niños gatecrashed what had been a big party by the Landmasters.They  lost a 15-point lead, 65-50, and struggled under Villaver’s relentless bombardments from beyond the arc that allowed the Landmasters to pull within just four points, 104-108, with 2:12 left to play.

The Niños, however, showed resilience when the game was on the line, with  Stephen Padilla and Warren Ybañez hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line  at the final 1:22 mark of the contest to bail M. Lhuillier out of danger.

Padilla charted 27 markers for the Ninos while Abby Santos, the reason why Cebu outscored Mandaue in points at the paint, 48-34, chipped in 25 points.

Earlier, MisOr was up by only two after the first five minutes of play, 8-10, but punhed in a staggering 31-11 blow in the second canto to rip the game apart at halftime, 54-27.

The Meteors blew up their lead to as much as 31 points, 59-28, but Taguig

staged a sizzling 30-13 rally to threaten at 87-96 with still 2:51 left to play.

Ironically, Taguig broke its own momentum when Arden Guiyab was slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul against former PBA star against Neil Rañeses.

The former UV Lancers standout hit his two foul throws and then Misa pumped in nine

straight points to seal the deal for the Meteors.

Jan Patrick Cabahug, who had a near perfect outside shooting, topped the Meteors with 17 points, even as six others netted twin digits underscoring their balanced offensive.

Eder Saldua had 15 points, Raneses and Ronald Lamocha 13

each, Misa 12 followed by Kristopher Lacernas with 11 and Jay-R Taganas 10. - THE FREEMAN