FIN&CLAW Grill scored a massive 88-83 upset of Farm Fresh-Letran to forge a three-way tie for the lead in the Manila Bankers Life-Pilipinas Super League 18-Under’s NCR Leg last Wednesday at San Andres Gymnasium.
Fin&Claw, whose sole loss came at the hands of Taytay last May 7, racked up its fourth straight win, tying the Milkers and Ez Jersey Doc Boleros on top of the 10-team leg co-presented by SCD and Dumper party-list.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair between the Quezon City-based squad and the defending NCAA champions that saw the game tied at 83-all with 1:18 left.
Debuting Earl Medina, an incoming high school senior for Adamson, was at the right place and at the right time for Fin&Claw, cleaning up a Peter Rosillo miss with 21 ticks left.
A turnover by Jonathan Manalili in the next possession led to three free throws for Alexandrei Gazzingan to secure the victory.
In the sole Luzon leg game of the day, Pampanga Pradera Theme Park clinched a Final Four berth after a dominant 110-87 triumph over Datzlav Sta. Cruz.
Pampanga, which notched its sixth straight win in as many games, is just two games away from gaining an outright finals berth and the right to join Visayas Leg champion Sherilin Khalifa City of Naga, the NCR, and the Mindanao leg champions in the national finals.
In the other NCR leg game, Taytay escaped past also-ran Magnificent Manila, 73-71, to even its slate to 3-3, keeping its slim final four hopes alive.
