MP Customs claims AMBL Cup title

THE MP Customs Brokerage pulled off an 88-87 cliffhanger over Team Rama Tuesday night to bag the 2013 AMBL Basketball Cup title at the Vicente Sotto Memorial gym. Earlier, RCAF tripped Blessel Enterprises, 111-105, to lift the third place trophy.

Power-center Epon Nacua exploded with 23 points in the final canto that enabled RCAF to put Blessel at bay. Nacua had a game-high 32 points while Alwin Tabasa and Jun Sumargo added 15 markers each.

The trio of Frankie Lastimoso, Ralph Bruzon and Erwin Ferrer paced Blessel Enterprises with 20 points each.

In the championship game, MP Customs and Team Rama fought on even terms from start to finish with the latter leading the former, 50-49 at the half and 68-67 at the end of the third canto.

With 30 seconds remaining and Team Rama up, 87-86, Lou Regidor stole the ball from a driving Toper Abellana and dished a quick assist to Montoy Singson who canned the title-clinching shot.

Regidor and Julius Gastador led MP Customs with a game-high 24 and 20 points, respectively, while Roy Arnado and Singson added a combined 27 markers. Abellana and Bonel Balingit paced Team Rama with 21 and 20 points.

AMBL host Allan Lim awarded cash and trophies to the top performing teams right after the title game.

The champion team received P10,000, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placers got P5,000, P3,000 and 1,000, respectively.

BOX SCORES

RCAF (111)- Nacua 32, Tabasa 22, Sumargo 15, Garcia 11, Baclay 8, Dinampo 8, Ciabo 7, Del Campo 6, Ybañez 2.

BLESSEL (105)- Lastimoso 20, Bruzon 20, Ferrer 20, Ortega 15, Birao 10, Galon 10, Ocampo 8, Grafe 2.

Championship

CUSTOMS (88)- Regidor 24, Gastador 20, Arnado 15, Singson 12, Sausa 6, Hapin 4, Pua 3, Mata 2, Belicario 2.

TEAM RAMA (87)- Abellana 21, Balingit 20, Aying 16, Rama 10, L. Fuentes 4, Navarro 4, A. Fuentes 3, Pahamutang 3, Balaba 2, Dejos 2, Vidal 2. /Correspondent Dale Rosal