Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
DEFENDING Champions YTE shrugged off a sluggish start to come back from 19 points down to edge Moldex Realty 96-89 in Group B of the YOU.C1000 Cup last night.
In what was their third straight victory to secure their semi-final berth, the duo of Elvin Requintin and F R Macasero notched matching game-highs of 24 points to pace YTE.
Eric Palanca added 21 points while Tony Bong was the other in double figures with 10 points to his name in the triumph at the BBA court in Batu Bersurat.
The pair of J Gisalan and Eliseo poured in 23 points each to lead Moldex. Alsaid Jauhali contributed 20 points, which included four treys, while Vincent Superio chipped in 11 to a losing cause.
Moldex had run out to a 32-13 lead with just over two minutes into the second quarter.
YTE took a timeout and switched to man-to-man defence that ignited their comeback.
They got to within seven points with a minute left after back-to-back baskets by Tony before Moldex closed out with four straight points to stay in front 47-36 at halftime.
Palanca, who scored 15 points in the third frame, got to work under the rim to cut the deficit.
YTE then used a 13-0 run to grab the lead for the first time at 61-60 with 55 seconds left in the third period courtesy of a pair of freethrows by Casamero.
Jauhali finally ended Moldex’s drought with a trey but Ting Heng Lee ensured that YTE would stay in front with a jumper to put them up 65-63 going into the final quarter.
YTE started the decisive frame with six unanswered points and looked to run away with the game after a Casamero basket to put them up by double figures at 78-67 with over six minutes to play.
Moldex slowly chipped away at the lead and it was a two possession game after Gisalan split his charities to make it 87-82 with 1:48 left on the clock.
Casamero looked to have taken a hit to the eye and stayed down in the next play. Heng Lee was forced to stop play and was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul.
Jauhali made no mistake from the line to knock down a pair of freethrows.
However, they failed to capitalised despite having possession again with Superio missing his attempt.
Instead it led to a Requintin layup plus foul at the other end with under a minute to play.
He missed the ensuing foul shot and in turn Eliseo would make two at the other end with 47 seconds left on the clock.
Palanca converted a layup and the game should have been put to bed seconds later but Casamero somehow missed a wide open layup.
Jauhali gave Moldex a lifeline after he knocked down a three-pointer with five seconds to go bringing the game to 91-89.
They had to foul Requintin immediately on the inbounds and he iced the game by making both from the stripe and even had time to knock down another trey in the final second to seal the win.
Meanwhile, the second game saw Easyway cruise to a 115-68 victory over TK Tea House in Group B.
