Mandaue scores repeat over MLKP-Cebu, makes c’ships
Mark Magsumbol and Marlon Basco presided over an incredible comeback in the endgame that helped the Mandaue-Cebu Landmasters prevail over the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños, 58-56, and claim the last finals slot in the Liga Pilipinas V fourth leg late Friday night at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.
Magsumbol and Basco once again stuck it to their former team, much like they did in their impressive performances during the second leg of the tournament, wherein they won two straight matches over the Niños en route to claiming the title.
The duo, together with Hafer Mondragon, Mario Basco and Ariel Capus, were all part of the Niños squad before being jilted during the offseason.
Basco, who celebrated his birthday last Friday, and Magsumbol combined to score 15 in a gallant 16-3 endgame fightback that obliterated an 11-point deficit in the fourth period.
Mandaue led early on but the Niños of head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba battled back and took the lead in the second period behind a 9-0 run that put them in front, 28-24. They kept that lead at halftime, 32-30, and even extended that to 10, 46-36, in the third frame.
The Niños seemed on their way to booking the other ticket to the finals as they maintained their lead, 53-42, after a booming three-pointer by Stephen Padilla, with exactly seven minutes left in the game.
Basco then hit two straight jumpers including a three-pointer that gave life to the Landmasters. Magsumbol, the 2001 NCAA finals MVP, attacked the rim with ferocity and got two difficult layups to go and followed that up with two free throws that tied the game up at 55 and a high-arcing jumper that gave Mandaue the lead at 57-55, with 2:17 left.
After a free-throw by Niños guard Felix Belano and two 24-second shot clock violations by Mandaue, the Niños flubbed their chance to retake the lead as Ian Saladaga missed a wide-open three-pointer from the left wing. Mandaue point man Axel Doruelo added a freethrow for the final tally.
Magsumbol scored 19 points on top of four steals, five assists and four rebounds. Mondragon and Basco each had nine. Mandaue was facing the Misamis Oriental for the title as of this writing.
