Freego makes finals; NLEX forces rubber

MANILA, Philippines - Eric Camson sank two pressure-packed free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining as Freego Jeans swept Cebuana Lhuillier, 69-67, in overtime to clinch the first finals berth in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City last night.

“This is a big achievement for us. We also have the luxury of rest while waiting for our opponent in the finals,” said Freego Jeans coach Leo Austria.

Alex Nuyles scored 18 points, Lester Alvarez had 14 markers and Janus Lozada chipped in 11 points for the Jean Makers, who blew a 59-51 lead midway in the fourth quarter with flubbed shots and turnovers down the stretch, enabling the Gems to force overtime at 61.

But the Jean Makers regrouped then hung tough with Camson delivering the goods at crunch time to pound out the victory.

“We could have won it right there. But we made crucial lapses. Good thing the guys didn’t give up. And that’s what mattered in the end,” said Austria, whose wards snatched a 57-56 victory in Game One last Tuesday.

The NLEX Road Warriors, on the other hand, also squandered a 24-point lead in the third quarter but kept their poise in the stretch to hold off the Big Chill Super Chargers, 69-62, and force a sudden death in their own semifinal series.

NLEX enjoyed a 51-27 lead with 5:21 left in the third but slackened up on the defensive end, allowing the Super Chargers to bounce back.

“Perhaps the players thought we had the game won when we’re up by a big margin,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez.

NLEX and Big Chill dispute the other finals slot on Tuesday at 2 p.m., also at the Ynares Sports Arena.