BACOOR CITY – The Basilan Steel showed steely nerves in a 92-90 squeaker over the Bacoor Strikers in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Season Wednesday at the packed Strike Gymnasium here.
The Steel’s Jay Collado buried a triple from deep corner with 59 seconds left in what turned out to be the dagger as the Strikers missed their last four attempts, including a probable game-winner triple by Mark Pangilinan before the final buzzer to the disappointment of local fans.
Battling back from a 14-32 deficit, the Steel seized the lead at 85-82 on a six-point blast, capped by Jonathan Uyloan’s triple, with 5:17 left en route to their second straight win and an 11-8 record in the South division of the 31-team MPBL.
The Strikers, who controlled most past of the game despite the absence of main man Gab Banal, who’s recovering from a bout with dengue, and top center Michael Mabulac, who got injured with 5:59 left in the third quarter, tasted their second straight defeat and lagged behind the Davao Occidental Tigers, the South pacesetter at 16-2.
The Basilan-Bacoor thriller overshadowed the Manila Stars 104-89 romp over the Soccsksargen Marlins and the Mindoro Tamaraws’ come-from-behind 79-78 win over the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards.
