MVBA: Arthro cagers beat Holcim, 87-85, in OT

The Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu ended their two-game losing streak with an 87-85 overtime win over the Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr on Monday as the last week of the 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference started at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City. Regulation play ended at 77-77, the league said Tuesday, and in the extra time, Arthro raced to an 87-79 lead with 1:37 to play. MisOr fought back with three straight baskets by Mark Abadia, Anton Villoria, and Nathaniel Cruz to trim the lead to only two points, 85-87, with 12 seconds to go. But in the ensuing sequence, Mark Ababon missed two free throws off a Cruz foul. Cruz then grabbed the defensive rebound and passed the ball to a waiting Lowell Briones, who fired a triple from the corner that saw the ball circle the ring only get coughed out at the buzzer. MisOr forced the extension via two free throws caused by a wild turn of events in the final seconds of regulation time. First, Doroteo Almacin sank two free throws off Briones with eight ticks left to push Arthro ahead by four, 77-73. Mark Moreño then drove strong to the hoop for a twisting drive to close in, 75-77, with two seconds left on the clock. As Arthro was about to put the ball in play, Bernie Ursal was tagged with an unsportsmanlike foul after he sent Moreño to the floor via a hard body check. Moreño then made both charities to knot the count at 77-77 and ball possession stayed with MisOr. In the final play of regulation, the ball went to Abadia and he drove strong towards the basket, only to be stopped by a wall of Arthro defenders at the buzzer. The MVBA makes a stop at the South Cotabato Gym and Cultural Center in Koronadal City on Thursday (November 15) with the MP Warriors-GenSan playing host to the Goldstar Hardware-sponsored Duterte Agilas-Davao starting at 6 p.m. Scores Arthro-Cebu (87): Cainglet 23, Almacin 22, Ursal 9, Justiniani 8, Berame 7, Ababon 6, Garcia 6, France 2, Luga 2, Omandam 2, Bucao 0, Gadiane 0, Gabas 0 Holcim Pryce-Misor (85): Villoria 19, Cruz 18, Briones 14, Moreño 6, Nailon 6, Sanchez 5, Abadia 4, Tagupa 3, Numeran 3, Sevilla 3, Apepe 2, Concha 2 Quarter scores: 23-20, 42-32, 52-57, 77-77 (Reg), 87-85 (OT) Standings Visayas Division M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City: 8-2 Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue: 8-2 Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu: 4-6 Mindanao Division MP Warriors-GenSan: 3-4 Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr: 2-6 Duterte Agilas-Davao: 1-6

- GMANews.TV