FilOil: Forrester hits 21 as Chiefs bury Bombers

Boasting of Group A’s second-best record at 5-2, all that was left for Arellano University to do is win their last game to out-jockey the surging Adamson University Falcons for the second quarterfinals seed.

That was exactly what they did, as the Chiefs defused the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers 83-67, on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan, in the elimination round of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.

Arellano saw its first quarter 25-5 lead thaw out in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs kept their composure and maintained their double digit lead in the dying seconds of the fourth.

"Good thing we were able to start strong. May cushion agad kami, a 20-point lead in our first quarter," said Chiefs head coach Koy Banal. "Our players decided to start strong that's why we were able  to get the W."

The Heavy Bombers halved the 20-point lead to just 10 with a shade under two minutes remaining, but it was a case of too little too, late, as Arellano managed to widen the lead to 16 points by attacking the hoop, drawing fouls in the process.

The Chiefs close out the eliminations round on a high note, entering the quarterfinals with a 6-2 record. They welcome June bearing a chip on their shoulder, which they can only get rid of if they defeat the National University Bulldogs, one of two teams that handed them their two losses.

The other squad, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, are barely breathing in a race for the fourth spot.

Forrester piloted his team to the win with 21 points, making 10 of his 11 attempts from the line, to go along with five rebounds and two assists. Two point guards followed as Pinto tallied 16 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, while Gio Jalalon added 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

AU made 31 baskets out of 73 tries (42 percent). While they made only two triples, they added 19 points from the free throw line. They also did a good job of picking up the loose change, out-hustling the Bombers 49-37 in the rebounding department while cashing in 34 turnover points off 25 JRU miscues.

This preseason outing has been lackluster for the rebuilding Bombers. They have two games left to add more wins to their 1-5 record. Still, Banal made sure his squad was prepared for them entering this game, pointing out, "As much as possible I tried to prepare the players, not only physically, but mental, kasi we know consistent ang JRU.

"They're like pitbulls, pag kumagat na ganun, hindi sila maggive-in. Hindi sila aalis."

The Chiefs gained the edge early, going on a 12-3 run. JRU coach Vergel Meneses called a timeout after his defense gave Caperal enough space to hit a jumper and pulled out all his starters, fielding in bench players alongside floor general Gio Lasquety.

The substitutions barely worked as the Bombers continued to commit turnovers, which allowed the Chiefs to wreak havoc in the open court. Arellano went on a 13-2 run after Meneses’ timeout, scoring only on a short stab by Dave Sanchez on a defensive miscue by the Chiefs. The Bombers could not hit anything in the ocean as the first quarter ended at 25-5.

There was nothing that could light the Bombers’ fuse early in the second quarter, as the bench still failed to produce points, while Paolo Pontejos, a bright spot in their previous games, continued to warm the bench. After a split by Jalalon, the Bombers committed a shot clock infraction, causing coach Meneses to shake his head in dismay. The Chiefs’ zone defense clogged the lane for JRU’s potential drives, while forcing them into contested jump shots, none of which went in.

Arellano led by as much as 21 points after a triple by reserve Zach Nicholls, but the Bombers finally caught a spark midway through the second quarter, as Philip Paniamogan brought JRU’s offense back to life, engaging Nicholls in a shootout. The veteran guard allowed the Bombers to keep their deficit from exceeding 20, 31-11.

Having generated zero offense in the first quarter, Philip Mabulac bailed JRU out of the 20-point black hole, igniting an 18-8 run by scoring eight straight points. After his 10th point, Mabulac asked to sit, breathing heavily. The Bombers maintained the momentum even as their top scorer sat down, as JRU finally slashed their 20-point deficit to nine after a triple by Marco Balagtas.

The lead went back to double-digits after splits by Abanto and Hernandez, 37-26, but Abanto made a timely put-back to cut the lead to nine, 37-29. Jalalon countered with a put-back of his own, drawing a foul off Paniamogan, but missed the bonus shot. Abanto drew a foul on the other hand and split his free throws to make it 39-29, only for another turnover produce a breakaway lay-up by Pinto, to end the first half at 41-29.

Sensing a blowout, Forrester improved on their 12-point advantage, scoring 11 markers off long jumpers and free throws. The Chiefs led by 17 points after his last two free throws, which would be the last Arellano points for three minutes, as the Bombers mounted an 8-0 run by their guard corps. The lead was at single digits after Paniamogan hit a teardrop facing Forrester, 53-44.

Coach Banal called for time, and Jalalon came to the Chiefs' rescue, keeping their lead at 11 after an acrobatic lay-up, 55-44. A floater by Balagtas and a fast break basket by Benavides further trimmed the lead to 55-48, but Pinto drew a foul on a pump fake to earn two charities, making it a 57-48 affair after three quarters.

After a hook shot by Nico Bangga, 59-48, a jumper by Balagtas and a triple by Paniamogan lopped five points off the Arellano lead, 59-53. The Chiefs however put together a convincing 9-1 surge that seemingly put away the game, burying the Bombers, 68-54. The lead was extended to 16 points as Pinto drained a deep three while JRU just couldn’t buy a basket off easy looks.

The lead expanded to 18 after a lay-in by Salcedo, but the Bombers put together one more rally, going on an 8-0 run from two triples by Balagtas and a lay-in by Gozum. With under two minutes left, the Bombers kept fouling, but were unable to convert anything as the Chiefs’ defense clamped down on them. A three-point play by Enriquez drove the nail in the coffin as the Chiefs took home the W.

The Bombers churned out 24 field goals from 61 attempts while making five out of 14 tries from long-range. They shot poorly from the stripe, converting 14 out of 25 free throws.

JRU created 21 points from 22 Arellano turnovers.

Balagtas top-scored for the Bombers with 15 points on a 3-4 shooting performance from beyond the arc, followed by Paniamogan and Mabulac with 14 apiece.

The Heavy Bombers will be tested by the 0-6 UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, May 29 at 4:15pm, while the Chiefs have already secured a berth for June’s quarterfinals. - RAF/AMD, GMA News

 

The scores:
 

AU 83 – Forrester 21, Pinto 16, Jalalon 10, Enriquez 9, Bangga 5, Caperal 4, Nicholls 4, Cadavis 4, Hernandez 3, Salcedo 2, Gumaru 2, Agovida 2, Malanday 1, Margallo 0

JRU 67 – Balagtas 15, Paniamogan 14, Mabulac 14, Abanto 9, Lasquety 4, Benavides 4, Dela Paz 3, Sanchez 2, Gozum 2, Diego 0, Salaveria 0

 

Quarter scoring: 25-5, 29-41, 57-48, 83-67