Skippers, Archers gain finals

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MARINERONG Pilipino simply didn’t want to waste its chance of reaching the Big Dance against gritty Apex Fuel-San Sebastian College. Ace guard Juan Gomez de Liaño made sure about it yesterday.

With Gomez de Liaño showing the way in the clutch, the Skippers turned back the Golden Stags 69-64 in Game 3 of their best-of-3 semifinals duel to clinch a finals slot in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In the first game, EcoOil-La Salle barely broke a sweat and clobbered Adalem Construction-St. Clare 97-74 to clinch the other finals berth.

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Game 1 will be on Sunday at the Big Dome.

Gomez de Liaño boomed in two straight three-pointers that gave Marinerong Pilipino a 64-60 lead with still 2:25 remaining before scoring on a layup after Apex Fuel-San Sebastian inched closer with an Alex Desoyo floater that made it 66-62, 52.4 seconds to go.

After an Arvin Gamboa split from the foul line, the Stags pulled to within 64-67 on a Kenneth Villapando basket but Gamboa answered with a short stab that beat the shot clock and pegged the final count, only 12.5 ticks left.

Gomez de Liaño shone with a game-high 23 points, 13 of them coming in the fourth quarter, on top of eight rebounds, and six assists for the Skippers, while new addition AC Soberano added 14 markers on two three pointers.

Jollo Go also had 11 points for Marinerong Pilipino, which atoned for a 74-82 loss to Apex Fuel-San Sebastian in Game 2 four days earlier.

With the triumph, the Skippers returned to the finals after losing to BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare in the Foundation Cup in 2019.

CJ Austria fired 19 of his game-best 26 points in the first half, grabbed five rebounds, and issued three feeds for EcoOil-La Salle, while Kevin Quiambao had 16 markers and four caroms.

Michael Phillips also added 14 and 13 as the Archers bounced back from a 64-72 defeat to the Saints in Game 2 last Sunday.

“It was really all about our team mindset,” Gomez de Liaño, who spoke in lieu of Skippers coach Yong Garcia, said. “We just had the right mindset coming into this do-or-die game.”

Marinerong Pilipino took a 34-31 buffer at the half and held a 44-43 edge heading into the payoff period.

Romel Calahat paced the Stags with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Jessie Sumoda had 15 markers and 11 boards.

Villapando contributed 12 points for Apex Fuel-San Sebastian.

“I’m really happy and satisfied with the way we played,” EcoOil-La Salle tactician Derrick Pumaren, who called the shots for Centro Escolar University in the finals of the same tilt three years ago and fell to Cignal HD-Ateneo, said.

“The boys just played really hard today and the things we were supposed to do last time around, we did it right today,” he added.

John Rojas scored 17 points for Adalem Construction-St. Clare, while Joshua Fontanilla added 16 markers.

Gelo Sablan and NAASCU MVP Johnsherick Estrada also got 12 and 10 points, respectively for the Saints.

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