ANGELES CITY – Chito Jaime sneaked in a layup and made a closing defensive stop to lift the Bataan Risers past the Manila Stars, 77-76, on Thursday in the Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Season at the Angeles University Foundation Arena.
With Manila ahead, 76-75, Jaime, 36, drove in with 57 seconds left for the game’s final basket as both teams were unable to score the rest of the way in the tight game which saw 12 lead changes.
The Stars got one final chance to reverse the outcome with 1.2 seconds to go, but Jaime foiled the final play intended for Manila star Aris Dionisio to seal the Risers’ 16th win against 9 losses in the North division of the 31-team league.
It was a delayed revenge for the Camaya Coast-supported Risers, who got ousted by the Frontrow-backed Stars, 2-1, in last season’s Datu Cup North semifinals.
Reed Juntilla, John Bryon Villarias, Joseph Nalos and Enrico John Llanto also delivered for the Risers with 15, 13, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Stars suffered their fifth loss in 26 starts but stayed at second spot behind the San Juan Knights (21-3) in the chase for the top four spots which carry a homecourt advantage in the eight-team playoffs of the North and South divisions.
Dionisio pushed Manila ahead at 76-75 with two free throws to finish with 15 points, next only to Carlo Lastimosa’s 19 and ahead of Mark Dyke’s 11 plus 10 rebounds.
The Pampanga Giant Lanterns wasted an 18-point spread but fended off a spirited charge by the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards to prevail, 81-75, in the wildly applauded nightcap.
The Batangas City Athletics snapped a three-game slide with a 65-59 conquest of the Iloilo United Royals in the opener.
Jeff Viernes, the smallest man on the floor, played big with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Tanduay-backed Athletics who climbed to 14-10 in the South.
The 5-foot-8 Viernes was supported by Jason Melano and Dan Sara with 10 points each.
Only Al Francis Tamsi and Rey Publico scored in twin digits with 16 and 10 as the Royals fell to 15-10.
