DAMMAM - Inter-company depending champion Kudu Restaurant finally snapped a three-game skid after edging FMQ Sons Co, 67-65, in the elimination round in the on-going 19th Open Conference of the Eastern Province Basketball League at the jam-packed Al Ettifaq Sports Club.
Jun Villarubia scored 13 of his 26 points while rookie Larry Miranda added 8 points in a decisive fourth-quarter run to put away the determined challenge of the Pipeline Specialists in a win that revived Kudu's title hopes.
"We're just trying to survive and I'm glad we got the win," said coach Paul Casimiro. "Finally, they realized what it takes to win again."
Averaging only 11.5 points in the team's last two games, Miranda played consistently from start to finish on the way to scoring 18 points.
So impressive were Villarubia and Miranda that they finished in double-double figures, combining for 25 rebounds as the duo led the Restaurateurs in dominating the shaded lane.
"I'm glad the team shot well today," said team statistician Allan Astronomo. The boys of Emad Salim-Mustafah Hamadeh dropped a telling 15-4 bomb to take a comfortable 50-35 lead early in the final canto.
The Restaurateurs got a big scare in the endgame when FMQ's Gilbert Giangan converted a trey to level at 62-all and made a difficult reverse lay-up with only 28 ticks left. Giangan turned from hero to goat after missing another three point attempt that would have reversed the game results.
Egged-on by the wildly-cheering crowd, FMQ's euphoric comeback got a big blow when defensive specialist Vic Bolado, who scored 10 points, fouled out at crunch time.
In lone division C open category, Bigen Prominous ended a four-game losing run with a stunning 89-79 win over Haier Rockets.
As the newcomers in the big league, coach Mike Briones earlier claimed that Bigen was still searching for a team leader. "We're a work in progress. We're still adjusting as a team."
Yet, Louie Delos Reyes clearly showed in recent games that he's among the candidates to fill the leadership void.
By counting heavily on the scoring abilities of Delos Reyes, Bigen five pulled off back-to-back victories including a huge upset win versus the seasoned Rockets.
"It was a boost to our esteem as individuals and as a group," said team manger Tariq Estoesta after the upstarts rejuvenated their elimination round campaign.
Delos Reyes poured in a team-high 21 points, while Ellis Rivera, Alvin Pascual and Edwin Dimpla combined for a total of 53 points.
Although Haier five dictated the tempo throughout the match with Garry Manapat, John Diallino and Manny Trinidad taking care of the scoring department with a combined 44 points, the boys of Shater Abdulrahman and Musharraf Nazir clamped down in the crucial minutes when defensive hustler Franklin Ong and Aldrin Untoy fouled out in succession in the dying minutes of the match.
In the most awaited showdown of the best cagers in the kingdom, the National Pipe Company of Dharan kept its record clean by beating the All-Saudi squad of Al Nahda Club via a 91-90 hairline win in the Premier League.
Defying the imposing presence of Saudi national team member, Fahad Al Radhi, the Pipemakers banked on Edgar Bucalin, ex-pro Purefoods Jessie Cabanayan and youthful Jordan Sinio as they used their speed, talent and experience to put the defensive clamps on the Essa Al Hanwa and Saeed Al Bader to break a 46-all count at halftime to a 70-60 cushion going into the final period.
Al Radhi playing without relief gave NPC some headaches in the early going as Al Nahda's prized forward lit the scoreboard during the first half. But Al Radhi's production got limited in the second half by NPC sticky defense. He finished with 42 points.
"Each encounter, Al Nahda surprises me with their discipline and eagerness to win. They will be a force to reckon with in the near future", said NPC team adviser Camilo Zacate.
Other game results, Isam Kabbani dumped Nesma Contracting 84-71, Carlson Forwarders eked out Phuket Restaurant in Division II, Al Fallak System Solutions defeated JAL International 79-70, while Phuket Restaurant smashed ACEC Consultants 89-69 in division C.
KIM G. CORTEZ
Official Correspondent in Saudia Arabia