Games Tuesday
(JCSG Gym)
2 p.m. – Topstar vs CaféFrance
4 p.m. – Racal vs AMA
Phoenix repulsed a fourth quarter rally from CaféFrance yesterday as the Accelerators zoomed to a 91-83 win to solidify their bid to gain a twice-to-beat advantage heading into the semifinals of the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao, Quezon City.
Cris Tolomia and Mac Belo joined hands in a third-quarter binge that saw the Accelerator erect a 79-58 lead on a Tolomia trey.
The Bakers attempted to turn things around in the fourth and almost got the job done when it held the Accelerators to just one point in the first five minutes of play.
The closest CaféFrance could get to was at 81-75 on two free throws by John Casino off Belo’s fifth foul with 5:37 to play.
Sensing danger, Russel Escoto, Roger Pogoy and Belo came to the rescue to help Phoenix improve its win-loss card to 9-3, just below leader Racal with a 9-2 slate.
The loss dropped CaféFrance’s mark to 8-3, just half a game ahead of Tanduay at 8-4 following the Rhum Masters’ 86-84 conquest of AMA in the first game.
Gelo Alolino starred for Tanduay when he scored on a go-ahead basket with 4.6 ticks to go.
CaféFrance could have secured a twice-to-beat advantage had it survived Phoenix and its hopes of getting the coveted spots in the semis lies on a Racal loss to AMA on Tuesday, provided of course that it topples Top Star on the same day.
Tolomia led the way for Phoenix with a game-high 28 points in 31 minutes of play, while Belo, suiting up for 25 minutes, backed him up with 21 and Ed Daquioag, who went wild in the first half, chipped in 12.
Cameroonian Rod Ebondo had 21 markers for the Bakers. Carl Cruz and Michael Parala had 19 and 13 respectively. John Casino also wound up in double digits with 11.