Action from the PIBAQ 3rd Ambassador Basketball Cup 2014 at Al Gharafa Indoor Hall.
DOHA: The Manila Metrostars unleashed a fourth quarter scoring splurge to subdue the Pangasinan Thunders 78-67 in the PIBAQ 3rd Ambassador Basketball Cup 2014 at Al Gharafa Indoor Hall.
Pangasinan had a strong start and led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Manila grabbed the upper hand 23-21 halfway in the second but the yellow shirts regrouped to regain advantage at the mid-game break, 35-31.
The Pangasinenses continued the surge and established a ten-point cushion before closing the third period on top at 51-45.
Both squads then went scoreless owing to tight defense early in the final canto until Tolentino broke the ice with a twinner and ignited an 11-0 scoring blitz to erase the deficit and push the Metrostars to the driver’s seat at 56-51 with 5:18 left in the game.
Sandie Limin and the orange shirts then banked on a 22-16 wind-up to silence the Thunders, 78-67.
Meanwhile, Pampanga’s Pride coasted along to drub Team Visayas, 75-61 in the main game.
With the Mallari-Raagas-Mercado triumvirate in full throttle, the Pampanga’s Pride just proved too much for their brothers from the south as they led throughout, 25-11 at the end of the first quarter, 40-26 at halftime and 52-46 in the third.
Manila and Pampanga will face off with elimination top teams and early qualifiers Mindoro and Batangas, respectively, in the semi-finals double-header on March 14, to determine which provinces will figure in the Ambassador’s Cup championship showdown.
The Peninsula
