Villar lifts Sports5; IJuander, Unang Hirit stay on top in GMABL

MANILA, Philippines -- Sports5 leaned on the heroics of Merv Villar to return to the win column following two straight losses with a nerve-wracking 77-73 victory over Pitbulls over the weekend in the GMA Basketball League Season 5 at the Colegio de San Lorenzo Gym. 

Villar, the Sports5's hefty stretch four, struck hard in the final minute sinking a cold-blooded jumper and a short stab before icing the game at the stripes to pull off the come-from-behind victory that clinched them a spot in the quarterfinals. 

In the other games, league leader IJuander claimed the first of two outright semifinal berths as it extended its win streak to seven while Unang Hirit is now knocking on the semis door after a big win against Manila Street Kings. 

Pitbulls pulled within three behind the hot hands of CJ Zarcal, who led his team with 19 markers, but Villar, a segment producer in the PBA telecast and Kwentong Gilas documentary, answered with clutch hits. He picked up the slack for his older brother Chu Villar, who missed the game due to earlier commitment, and finished with a personal-best 17 points and six rebounds. 

Sports5, which lost its last two games to BJFC and PPL, got additional boost with the return of gunner Cedelf Tupas, who missed the team's last three games.  Tupas, a TV analyst in the United Football League telecast and the resident football beat reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, tallied 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in his comeback game. 

PCBL and PBA on Radyo5 commentator Jutt Sulit paced the team with 27 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc while collecting nine boards, one assist and three steals.  His two three-pointers in the third quarter helped Sports5 rally from a 10-point deficit. 

Sports5, which holds a 4-3 win-loss record must sweep its three remaining games including beating first round tormentor Unang Hirit by more than three points to grab the second outright semis berth. One more loss will automatically send Unang Hirit to the semifinals. 

GMA-7 actor Mikael Daez poured in 35, just two points shy of his previous tournament-high 37 he logged in against Sports5, to power Unang Hirit to a 98-86 conquest of Manila Street Kings and stayed at solo second with a 6-2 win-loss card. Fellow GMA-7 actor TJ dela Paz backstopped him with 25 points spiked by five triples. 

IJuander, meanwhile, banked on cameraman Jhoms Rodriguez's 17-ft dagger with the shot clock winding down to fend off BJFC's fourth quarter rally that fell short in a 73-70 win. 

The league leading team drew another all-around performance from propsman Michael "Stone Wall" Canaba, who put up 26 points, six boards and four steals, while video editor Benson Dela Paz chipped in 17 points and two steals. 

BJFC, which outscored IJuander in the the second half, 36-28, saw Starstruck product Johan Santos' 29 points go to waste. 

The win was IJuander's seventh in a row since opening the tournament with a narrow loss to Sports5.