FORMER PBA player John Wilson shone in the endgame as defending champion and No. 2 Davao Occidental-Cocolife outlasted hard-fighting seventh seed Boracay 73-71 last Wednesday night in their knockout quarterfinals duel in the Manila Bankers Life-Pilipinas Super League Pro Division Second Conference Dumper Cup at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Th 6-foot-2 Wilson scored the game’s final three points, including a tough lefty layup in the last 16.8 seconds that pegged a 72-71 count after former PBA star Mac Cardona gave the Islanders a 71-70 lead with a three-pointer.
A Wilson split from the free throw line left Boracay with a lifeline, only 2.1 ticks left but Cardona’s heave from halfcourt was nowhere near the rim at the buzzer.
Wilson fired 19 points, on top of eight rebounds and four assists for the Tigers, while Robby Celiz added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
Larry Rodriguez also had 10 and four as Davao Occidental rebounded from an 80-91 loss to Boracay in the first match of their quarterfinals showdown last Tuesday.
More importantly, the Tigers advanced to a best-of-3 semifinals battle against Pampanga Royce Hotel.
Unbeaten San Juan will take on the Pampanga G Lanterns in the other semis pairing in the tilt presented by Dumper party-list, Winzir, and Skin Care Depot.
Cardona scored 22 points for Boracay, while Johnsherick Estrada and Jaymar Gimpayan had 14 and 10, respectively.
