Locked in a see-saw battle with the Zamboanga-based cagers, the Mariners finally broke away for good on Cris Sta. Maria’s two triples that gave them a 58-51 breather with six minutes and 11 second remaining.
That was all PMI needed, as Niño Marquez, Cyruz Castillo, Virgilio Dimagiba and Larry Rodriguez picked it up from there for a 68-54 lead with only 1:39 to go.
PMI thus arranged a winner-take-all for the national title against the winner of the University of Perpetual Help-Rizal and Angeles University Foundation which were still playing as of presstime.
The AUF Great Danes earned one of four semifinal berths after University of Manila’s 97-79 win over the Pampanga-based cagers was forfeited due to a violation of tournament rules.
AUF sports director Nida Sunga immediately filed a protest after the game. A BAP committee composed of tournament commissioner Romeo Cardenas, tournament director Ferdinand Pascual and members of the technical committee ruled on the forfeiture after determining that UM sent in 13 players in violation of tournament rules. UM also committed another violation — fielding a player, Ace Margalio, who was not listed in the official line-up.
San Beda College, meanwhile, walloped Philippine Christian University, 96-69, to arrange a titular showdown for the juniors crown opposite La Salle Greenhills, which nipped Philippine College of Criminology, 68-67, in the other semifinal.
In the women’s division, it will be Ateneo de Manila, the No. 1 team after the single-round robin eliminations, against Lyceum of the Philippines for the title.
The awarding ceremonies for the event, organized by the Basketball Association of the Philippines under Tiny Literal and Graham Lim and the provincial government of Quezon headed by Gov. Wilfrido Enverga and sponsored by Burlington, FedEx and Cebuana Lhuillier, will be held today.