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FORD ARAO finally shone for San Mig Coffee Wednesday as the Coffee
Kings outlasted the Toyota Otis Sparks, 68-64, and clinched the
fourth and last semis berth in the PBL Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup at
the Oreta Sports Center in Malabon City.
With the Coffee Kings were protecting a slim
64-60 lead, the former Ateneo star player hit two crucial-packed
charities to seal the win and make a return trip to the semis.
This will be the first semis appearance of San
Mig Coffee (formerly Magnolia Beverage) since winning a title in the
2005 season.
Bonbon Custodio and Neil Raneses led the Coffee
Kings with 18 and 17 points while Arao added 10 points—the same
output of JP Alcaraz whose back-to-back baskets early in the fourth
quarter fueled a 6-0 run that gave them a 59-51 lead.
The Sparks tried to turn their fortunes around
but the best that they could get was to cut San Mig’s lead to
64-60.
San Mig Coffee faces a bigger challenge in the
next round as No. 1 Harbour Centre picked the Coffee Kings as their
semis opponent.
Hapee Toothpaste, which finished No. 2 at the
end of the double-round elims, faces Burger King in the other semis
match which starts Friday in Tarlac.
With Custodio and Raneses leading the way, the
Coffee Kings took a 28-16 advantage midway of the second quarter
before settling for a 35-26 lead at the turn.
Custodio finished the half with 10 points while
Raneses and PJ Alcaraz combined for 13 points.
This will be the first time the country’s
premier amateur basketball league will be playing in Tarlac
City—thanks to the support of Philippine Olympic Committee
spokesman Joey Romasanta, Mayor Genaro Mendoza of Tarlac City and
City Sports Development officer Arnold Rodriguez.
“The coming of the PBL in Tarlac will be a big
boost to the city’s sports development program, we welcome the
players, coaches and officials of the PBL in Tarlac,” said
Romasanta, who is from Tarlac.
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