LAMITAN, Basilan – Allyn Bulanadi clicked in time as Basilan downed Iloilo, 70-63, on Monday and forged a semifinals tussle with Bacoor in the Chooks-to-Go/MPBL Lakan Season South division at Lamitan City Gymnasium.
Struggling early on, Bulanadi bunched five points in the homestretch as the Steel swept the Iloilo United Royals, 2-0, in their quarterfinal series.
Banking on balanced scoring, the Bacoor Strikers also repeated over the General Santos Warriors, 69-60, in another best-of-three affair.
Unable to find his range, Bulanadi missed eight of his first 10 field goal attempts before coming through with a drive and a lethal triple that swayed the balance after Iloilo’s Al Francis Tamsi knotted the count on a triple at 63.
Jay Collado also shone for the Jumbo Plasics-backed Steel with 18 points, including the game’s last two on free throws, plus 10 rebounds, while Jerald Bautista chipped in 12 points. Bulanadi, a Gilas pool member, ended up with 11 points and five boards.
Stung by the 83-68 rout handed them by Basilan in Game One, Iloilo did not let the Steel pull away this time as Tamsi and Richard Escoto carried the scoring load with 16 and 13, respectively.
Escoto, however, did not finish the game due to a ring ankle sprain sustained late in the third quarter after landing on Bobby Baculanag’s foot while firing a trey.
Basilan coach Jerson Cabiltes was pleased with the Royals’ gallant stand.
“Magandang laban ito. It will help us prepare for a tough team like Bacoor,” said Cabiltes, who shunned hospital confinement over the weekend due to kidney and gall stones, to steer the Steel in Game Two.
Right after the final buzzer, Basilenos trooped to the court to congratulate and thanked the Steel for their victory that put the province in bright light.
Like Basilan, Bacoor also met stiff resistance from GenSan, which it dumped, 95-72, in their series opener.
The Strikers, who got 16 points from Oping Sumalinog and 11 from Nick Demusis, led by 11 at the most, 69-58, as top gun Gab Banal was held to nine points and seven rebounds.
GenSan drew 22 points from Rob Celiz and 10 from Daryl Goloran, followed by Pamboy Raymundo and Mikey Williams with 9 and eight.
Second seed Bacoor and third seed Basilan will begin their best-of-three semifinal series on March 2.
