The Liquid Power fought back from a Game One 60-78 blowout and repulsed the Paintmaters, 84-80, in double overtime last Saturday, reducing the best-of-five series to a best-of-three affair with the winner in today’s 4 p.m. encounter moving a victory away from the championship.
"The key here is persistence. If we can persist again despite tremendous pressure, we’ll have a strong chance of beating them (Welcoat) again," said Fash coach Junel Baculi, winner of six titles, including four for Welcoat and two for the Lamoiyan franchise.
Spicing up the day are the award rites for the MVP of the conference with Welcoat’s Jercules Tangkay and James Yap and Fash’s Peter Jun Simon and Rich Alvarez vying for top individual honors.
"It’s going to be another tough game because I expect them (Fash) to play physical again," said Welcoat mentor Leo Austria. "So I told my players to get physical too and play with more intensity."
But more than being physical, the Paint Masters must find ways in containing, if not stopping, the prolific Simon.
Shrugging off a right leg injury, Simon came out smoking as he torched Welcoat with 26 points, the bulk of which he delivered in the clutch.
The Makilala, North Cotabato native scored nine points in the fourth quarter of regulation as the Liquid Power kept their heads above water before uncorking a seven-point binge in the next two extra periods to help seal the series-tying win.
"Ginawa ko lang ’yung magagawa ko maski iniinda ko itong injury kong ito," said the 23-year-old Simon, who was picked up by Purefoods from the free agency.
But the Paintmasters seem to worry more on their top guns in James Yap and Ervin Sotto, who both struggled in Game 2.
No thanks to Larry Fonacier’s stifling defense, Yap was held to just 10 points in a nightmarish five-of-15 shooting clip, marred by five misses from the three-point area where he is most comfortable with.
The 6-foot-6 Sotto, on the other hand, fared even worse. The former St. Francis of Assisi standout made only two field goals – a triple and a basket both in the second OT – considering that he launched 12 attempts in the game.
Tangkay, who leads all players in the MVP race before last week’s player and media balloting, tried to take over for Welcoat but failed as he was stopped on his tracks by a hardworking Fonacier.
Tangkay did score 25 points but flubbed a total of 15 attempts, including a three-point try with 15 seconds to go that would have given the Paintmasters the win and a 2-0 lead.
"We need to come up with concerted effort, meaning, the other players must step up too, not just one or two guys," Austria said.