Welcoat halts Shark attack; protest looms

Welcoat snatched victory from the jaws of defeat while gaining a big break in the closing seconds last night, stopping the Shark attack to move in the threshold of the PBL Challenge Cup championship.

However, Shark immediately placed the game under protest, and the league technical officials said they will discuss the matter then come up with a recommendation to Commissioner Chino Trinidad tomorrow.

The Paintmasters gallantly fought back from a three-point deficit in the final minute and with one call by the referees favoring them in the dying seconds, the team stole a 76-75 win that gave them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven title series.

This time, it was Shark which grumbled about the officiating while leaving the Makati Coliseum.

Actually, not only the Power Boosters but most of the crowd at the venue thought Welcoat barely escaped with the win on the referees’ decision not to award charities on Roger Yap who was fouled by Anton Villoria with nine-tenths of a second left in the clock.

Had the referees called it a foul on the act of shooting, Yap would have gone to the stripe with a chance to win the game for the Power Boosters.

Inbounding from midcourt, the Power Boosters eventually yielded the game with an alley-oop pass by Jing Rodriguez to Michael Robinson at the buzzer but this was foiled by Yancy de Ocampo.

If league officials turn down Shark’s protest, Welcoat will go for the title clincher in Game Six Tuesday.

De Ocampo and Villoria proved to be Welcoat’s biggest heroes with the two hitting the decisive baskets that brought the team back in front, 76-75.

De Ocampo made it 74-75 on an undergoal stab against Irwin Sotto. Then, after Welcoat broke the Shark offense in the ensuing play, Villoria took matters into his hands, dribbling the time away before attacking the single coverage of Chester Tolomia, scoring on a fallaway jumper to push the Paintmasters ahead, 76-75, with time down to 1.7 seconds.

"Kung sila (Shark) ang swerte ay ang pagsusuot ng pulang damit, ako ang swerte ko galing sa kotse kong tinapunan ng thinner," said Welcoat coach Junel Baculi, complaining that his car was sprayed with paint thinner during the team’s 62-50 loss in Game Three.

Welcoat blew hot and cold, building leads of 11 points three times only to bungle all of these before making its own comeback in the final stretch.