Caloocan Batang Kankaloo bunched five points in the home stretch and subdued Pasig City MCW Sports, 68-60, on Friday to advance to the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season semifinal round at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
Barely ahead, 58-56, Caloocan, mentored by Robert Sison, got the extra push from Mac Baracael’s triple and Paul Sanga’s long two heading to the last two minutes of the Game 3 decider of their quarterfinal series.
Those points gave Batang Kankaloo a 63-56 lead from which the exhausted Tropang Pasig could no longer recover.
Counting their 71-69 escape in Game 1, Batang Kankaloo took the series, 2-1, and forged a best-of-three North division semifinal tussle with the waiting Pampanga Giant Lanterns starting on Friday, Oct. 27.
Sison said he would give the Batang Kankaloo a break to recover from the highly physical game against the Tropang Pasig before preparing for the powerhouse Giant Lanterns.
Admitting Caloocan would be the underdog against Pampanga, Sison said he would need his big guys to step up and used their experience to be able to match up with the Giant Lanterns, whom he regarded as the strongest in the 29-team tournament.
Caloocan’s Jeramer Cabanag was chosen the game’s best player after posting 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 assists, while holding Pasig Top Gun Robbie Manalang to just two points in the second half.
Other Batang Kankaloo who delivered were Gabby Espinas with 15 points and 7 rebounds and Joco Tayongtong with 10 points plus 6 rebounds.
Pasig, which won Game 2, 65-61, got 10 points from Manalang and Rey Peralta, but only 7 points from Kenny Roger Rocacurva. The Tropang Pasig were also hounded by the early ejection of Ryan Costelo, who played for only 5 minutes and 52 seconds and contributed a lone triple for Coach Boyet Fernandez.
The MPBL returns to the Strike Gymnasium on Saturday with the Game 3 deciders between Quezon Province and Zamboanga at 6 p.m. and Iloilo against Bacoor at 8 p.m.
