PMMS trips LCC, forces rubber match for title

Game Tuesday

9 a.m. – PMMS vs La Consolacion (series tied 1-1)

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Merchant Marine School overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat La Consolacion College-Manila, 63-61, yesterday and force a sudden death for the fourth Interscholastic Athletic Association basketball crown at the Makati Coliseum.

Dhon Reverente, Elvin Chan, Jess Quilatan, Sany Trinidad, Elmar Moradas and James Gonato combined in a torrid PMMS attack in the second half as the Mariners completed their comeback from a 9-25 deficit to clinch the win and level their best-of-three series at one game apiece.

Chan’s triple in the last 1:51 shoved PMMS to a 61-60 lead as the Blue Royals struggled from the line down the stretch to enable the Mariners to snatch the victory.

PMMS and LCCM will dispute the coveted crown on Tuesday at the same venue.

Reverente led the Mariners with 12 points, while Chan, Moradas and Quilatan had nine markers each and Gonato finished with six points.

It was a sorry loss for LCCM, which still led at 36-26 at the turn and kept a 47-37 margin with 3:42 left in the third before the Mariners waged a furious fightback.

A three-point play by Tanzanian center Jimmy Brown with 2:34 to go in the payoff period put LCCM on top, 60-58, for the last time before Chan hit the go-ahead triple to the delight of a boisterous PMMS crowd.

The Blue Royals had a chance to tie the game at 63 but Ryan Sagrada wilted under pressure and flubbed his two charities.

Brown grabbed the offensive rebound but a Mariner deflected the ball as time expired.

Sagrada led LCCM with 15 points while Game 1 hero Josue Quintal added 10 points. Quintal, however, failed to finish the game after sustaining a cut above his forehead in the closing minute.

Brown and Marlowe Isip scored 10 markers each.