Welcoat extends streak, stops Hapee

Welcoat Paints gave Hapee Toothpaste a dose of its own medicine as it came up with crucial defensive stops to eke out a 57-52 victory yesterday in the PBL Challenge Cup semifinals at the Makati Coliseum.
Trailing at 49-50 with over a minute to go, the Paints Masters held the Teeth Sparklers to just two foul shots while going perfect in the free throw line in six tries to extend their amazing run to eight wins following three straight setbacks.

Welcoat coach Junel Baculi said the team’s composure and experience saved the day for Welcoat.

"Its basically composure and experience that got us this win," said Baculi, whose next foe is Montana Pawnshop, a team which beat Welcoat in the elimination round.

Hapee put up a decent defensive formation in most part of the game but just could not overcome a more seasoned Welcoat side as it suffered its sixth loss against five triumphs.

In the first game, Skyland Estate Homes barged into the finals of the Philippine Youth Basketball League following a 90-71 scuttling of Mercury Freight.

Represented mainly by Guagua National College in Lubao, Pampanga, Skyland uncorked a telling second quarter offensive to rip the game apart and set a knockout championship match with the winner of the other semis game pitting Boysen Paints and Dazz Dishwashing Paste tomorrow.

Skyland is one of the three teams which sent the PBL Commissioners Office feelers of its interest in joining the league as a regular member next season.

Meanwhile, Blu Sun Power hardworking power forward Marlon Legaspi still leads the race for the Most Valuable Player award after the elimination round of the 2000 PBL Challenge Cup at the Makati Coliseum.

The 6-foot-4 Legaspi, son of former Mariwasa stalwart Roberto during the MICAA heydays, gathered a total of 307 SP’s — topping the statistics with 217 and earning 90 points on won games.

In the elimination round, Legaspi posted an average of 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per games.

Fast catching up on Legaspi is Welcoat Paints’ Ren-Ren Ritualo who’s just three points behind with 304-199 points on statistics and 105 on won games.

Ritualo poses a big threat to Legaspi’s MVP bid as he leads the scoring department with 15.4 points per game, clipping 51 percent from the field aside from being fourth among the freethrow leaders with a high 85 percent or 40-of-47 attempts.

Shark’s Chester Tolomia slightly slipped to third with 287 as he averages 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Teammates Roger Yap and Michael Robinson, two potential first round picks in the coming PBA draft, follow in fourth and fifth respectively.

Yap accumulated 276 SP’s as he averages 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game while Robinson, one of PBL’s fast-thinking point guards, had 272 as he norms 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals.

Welcoat 6’7 slotman Yancy de Ocampo likewise made a big leap from 11th to sixth place with 268 points with 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.1 blocks per game.

Blu Sun Power’s Eric de la Cuesta is seventh overall 255 SP’s while Shark’s Gilbert Malabanan closely trails in eigth with 253.

Enrico Villanueva and Rich Alvarez, two big factors behind Ateneo-Pioneer’s semifinals entry, completes the top 10 with 252 and 249 respectively.

Rounding up the top 15 contenders are Welcoat’s Eugene Tan (248), Ana Freezer’s Marvin Ortiguerra (242), Ricky Calimag who made a big dive from fifth to 13th place with 241, Shark’s Rysal Castro (234) and Egay Billiones (233).