AFP Cavaliers celebrate as the game time expired in the fourth period of the Game 2 of UNTV Cup Season 4 Finals. (Rovic Balunsay / Photoville International)
AFP vs PNP: The fight continues for season four’s championship knockout game on March 14, Monday night @ The Big Dome.
It looks like AFP Cavaliers may repeat the comeback run they were able to do two seasons ago against the very same opponent: their archrival, PNP Responders.
AFP rode on a hot shooting night to withstand the late rally of PNP and went on to win game two of the season 4 finals, 71-66 Monday night, March 7, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
UNTV Cup, the public service channel’s basketball competition where cash prizes are donated to charities, is led by multi-awarded broadcaster and Mr. Public Service Daniel Razon.
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IN PHOTOS: UNTV Cup Season 4 Finals Game 2
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Consistently firing all night long, Private Boyet Bautista and Technical Sergeant Rolando Pascual were adjudged as the co-best players of the game. Bautista, who was earlier given the best point guard award of season 4 dished out an all-around game of 21 points, 7 out of 15 from the field, 4 out of 8 triples, 3 out of 5 from the foul line, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Standing 5 foot 7 tall, Bautista was able to dominate the game. Pascual registered 12 markers, 6 out of 16 field goals, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Pascual has always been a consistent contributor and clutch player in AFP’s playoff history since season 1.
The Best Forward of season 4 and two-time MVP PO3 Ollan Omiping was limited by the suffocating Cavaliers defense to only 9 points from 4 out of 13 field goals and 1 out of 6 triples; a far cry from his 28- point, game one performance.
Harold Sta. Cruz, the dominant Responders’ center was likewise limited to just 4 points and 8 rebounds output.
He was clearly outplayed by his counterpart Corporal Jeffrey Quiambao who was able to record 12 points and 12 boards before fouling out at the 3:33 mark of the final quarter.
Role players PO1 Alejandro Yanquiling III and Antonio Tolentino Jr. led the attack of Coach Estong Ballesteros with combined 29 markers.
The glaring difference though was the hot 8 of 20 three-point shootings of the Alfredo Cayco and Sonny Manucat-coached team for a high 40% accuracy compared to the 10% connection of the policemen with 3 of 28 from beyond the arc.
PNP was able to dominate the blocks department but AFP won in the statistics of assists and steals.
The 1st quarter ended at 15-all. Both teams were frequently substituting players to keep them fresh in the game. Running game was evident and also the physical play, where a foul was called at almost every possession in the 1st period. Both teams did not have a good shooting from the start. Sta. Cruz was able to dominate the blocks but Quiambao and Casulla controlled the boards.
AFP was able to adjust quickly in the 2nd period. With his buzzer beating three, Bautista increased AFP’s lead to 12, 34-22 at the end of the 1st half.
Let’s look at the stats at the end of the first two quarters.
AFP scored 34 on 15 of 39 field goals (38%), 4 of 12 at 3 points (33%), have 23 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, no block, 9 turnovers and 9 fouls.
PNP registered 22 markers on 10 of 37 field goals (27%), 0 of 11 triples (0%), 23 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 6 blocks, 11 turnovers and 10 fouls.
Bautista led all scorers at the end of the 1st half, 13 points, 5 of 10 field goals, 3 of 6 triples, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals.
In the 3rd period, AFP was able to build its largest lead of the game, 55-36 on the 1:14 mark thanks to missed triples from PNP while Zuñiga, Pascual, Quiambao and Araneta able to hit their mark.
The closest PNP able to battle AFP was the 70-66 count with only 20.5 ticks remaining in the game via a game 2 rare three point connection from Omiping.
It’s just a good teaser for Game 3, as AFP was able to withstand PNP’s final push.
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The champion on March 14 will take home 4 million pesos, where half a million goes to the team and the rest to their charity.
The 2nd placer will have two million pesos of which 300,000 goes to the team and 1.7 million pesos for their beneficiary.
The CUP Scores:
AFP 71 — Bautista 21, Pascual 12, Quiambao 12, Zuñiga 6, Tan 6, Jabar 4, Casulla 4, San Esteban 3, Araneta 3
PNP 66 — Tolentino 15, Yanquiling 14, Omiping 9, Abaya 7, Criste 5, Sta.Cruz 4, Cabahug 3, Misola 3, Garcia 2, Decena 2, Ongutan 2
Quarter scores: 15-15, 34-22, 57-41, 71-66
Here were the other key stats:
AFP: 26/71 fgs(36%), 8/20 3pts(40%), 11/19 fts, 45 rebs, 10 assts, 8 stls, 1 blk, 18 tos, 21f
PNP: 26/75 fgs(34%), 3/28 3pts(10%), 11/19 fts, 45 rebs, 8 assts, 7 stls, 6 blks, 17 tos, 24f
(MARK SUBA)
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