English
CALOOCAN City, Philippines – Imus Bandera XTREME rides on to victory against Caloocan Excellence, this despite Caloocan home court advantage. The game ends with a 3 point advantage as the buzzer resounds, in favor of the visitors (Imus).
The game starts very feisty with a powerful rebound by G. Puerto of Imus on offense. He follows to support the play with an attempt to score a 2 pointer jump shot but misses. An early start of the barrage that is to come.
In the middle of the first quarter, the score was at 10-5 in favor of Caloocan. Raflores scored 1 out of 2 free throw shots, after a personal foul from Bangcoyan. The point gives the home quarters a 5 point lead early in the game.
The first quarter ends with an offensive rebound by Imus bigman Puerto, an Imus ball start for the 2nd quarter.
Second quarter starts at 18-21 on the scoreboard from the 1st quarter, in favor of the Bandera XTREMEs. A not so long celebrated early lead for Excellence.
Imus continues with rather aggressive play, dishing out a generous number of fouls.
Seven minutes left of the 2nd quarter, the lead goes back to Caloocan, in a continuous exchange of leads by the two contending teams, Caloocan leads and maintains from 25 to 23. The lead however ends once more at a 27 to 27 tied scoreboard. The tight exchange sums up the first half of the ballgame at 42 to 43 in favor of the visitors Imus.
The close fight continued in the 3rd quarter, proving a very tight, toe to toe contest between Caloocan and Imus. The enraged Caloocan Excellence is just not ready to give it up so easily on their home turf.
At the end of the 3rd quarter, R. Pacquiao fights for a defensive rebound and a foul is called on R. Octobre. Free throw for Imus’ Pacquiao, and he makes 2 out 2 of the shots putting Imus at a very close spot to Caloocan at 63 to 62 in favor of the home quarters Caloocan.
Diputado missed a final jump shot in the 3rd quarter giving the ball to Caloocan for the 4th round.
The 4th and final round hotter than the game started with multiple substitutions from Caloocan. Fabro and Octobre out, while Lasco and Raflores are brought back into the game for the home quarters. A tough but necessarily urgent decision in order to try and reverse the continuous quarterly wins by Imus. Hopefully, ending the game in a final quarter lead and a game win at that.
The hope for a win grows fainter and fainter for Caloocan, as around 3 minutes in quarter 4, Diputado makes an amazing 2 point driving layup and scores. The score board flashes a 67 to 71 disparity in favor of the visitors Imus.
Diputado received a personal foul from Octobre after this play.
The fouls proliferate as the game proceeds to its end. Ex PBA player Pacquiao fouls Raflores. This sends Pacquiao out and subbed by the ex PBA player Najorda, and Raflores stands on the free throw lane.
Raflores makes both shots inching the distance between the Imus lead at 82 to 87 in favor of Imus.
Extreme pressure from XTREME pushes Caloocan J. Santos to a beautiful 3 pointer, 3 point trail by three. The shot takes the game to 85 to 87.
That was the final shot for the game, the game ended at 85 to 87 in favor of Imus Bandera XTREME.
Top scorer for the match goes to A. Coronel, Imus, with 20 game points followed by J. Santos and Raflores with 18 and 16 respectively.
Most rebounds of the game are from R. Fabro of Caloocan with 10 rbs, followed by Imus’ A. Coronel with 9 rebounds of his own.
Laude of Caloocan has the most assists, with 6 assists, followed by Iñigo-Hg with 5. Raflores, Valin, Bangcoyan swat out 1 block each by the end of the match.
Scores at the end of the match
Caloocan with 85 points
Individual scores: J. Santos 18, B. Raflores 16, R. Octobre 14, A. Iñigo – Hg 7, R. Cervantes (Ex PBA) 7
Imus with 87 points
Individual scores: A. Coronel 20, J. Mallari 15, R. Pacquiao (Ex PBA) 11, L. Najorda (Ex PBA) 10, A. Diputado 10
Scores per quarter
1st quarter – 18 to 21 in favor of Imus
2nd quarter – 42 to 43 in favor of Imus
3rd quarter – 63 to 65 in favor of Imus
4th quarter – 85 to 88 Imus wins
