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By Frank C. Calapre, Correspondent
BATANGAS CITY: Harbour Centre defied pressure
and went on to rewrite history by bagging a record fifth straight
title Wednesday in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League Lipovitan
Amino Sports Cup.
The more determined Batang Pier established a
big 15-point lead midway, which later on served as a cushion in the
last ditch effort by the Complete Protectors, who bowed to the much
better team for the second straight conference, 86-73, before a
jampacked crowd at the Batangas City Sports Center.
“I’m very happy, so happy,” was all coach
Jorge Gallent could say after Harbour finished the best-of-5 series
at 4-1.
After losing Game 1, 73-74, the Batang Pier
bounced back to win Game 2, 93-81, and Game 3, 90-78, at the Pres.
Jose Laurel gym in Tanauan City.
Harbour’s title victory enabled the Batang
Pier to surpass the league’s previous record of four straight
titles by the now defunct Tanduay Rhum from 1996 to 1998 under then
coach Alfrancis Chua
The 15-point deficit was enough to demoralize
the Complete Protectors, whose effort to get back in the game went
to naught.
The Mikee Romero-franchise took a 65-50 at the
end of the third period and kept a comfortable 80-63 advantage going
into the final four minutes.
Boyet Bautista led Batang Pier with 16 points
followed by three-time Most Valuable Player Jason Castro with 13
while Chad Alonzo chipped in 11.
Castro, who signed up with the Singapore team in
the Australian National Basketball League, was named finals MVP.
Larry Rodriguez topscored for the Complete
Protectors with 18 points, Gabe Norwood finished with 16 while Reed
Juntilla and Earn Saguinde added 14 points apiece.
Meanwhile, PBL Commissioner Chino Trinidad gave
a special civic consciousness award to Harbour Centre’s Tyrone
Tang, who returned all his allowances to the needy student-athletes
of De La Salle University.
Scores:
HARBOUR CENTRE 86–Bautista 16, Castro 13,
Alonzo 11, Chan 10, Gaco 10, Vergara 9, S. Mercado 7, Fernandez 7,
Asoro 2, Belga 1.
HAPEE 73–Rodriguez 18, Norwood 16, Junilla 14,
Saguindel 14, Espiritu 3, Daa 3, Borboran 3, Viray 2.
Quarters: 14-13, 41-26, 65-50, 86-73.
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