Game 9: Toyota 110, Crispa 108 (Oct. 9, 1975)

Toyota spoiled Crispa's fourth quarter comeback to win their first meeting in the 1975 PBA Second Conference. Ompong Segura's go-ahead basket in the dying seconds prevented the Redmanizers from completing their rally from 17 points down.

Toyota nips Crispa by 2

By Danny Santillan
Bulletin Today
Published Friday October 10, 1975

Toyota nosed out Crispa, 110-108, to an electrifying finish last night, raising its record against the Redmanizers to six wins in nine games in the Philippine Basketball Association at the Araneta Coliseum.

Lean Rodolfo Segura's completion off an assist by Joaquin Rojas, Jr. put a heartbreaking end to a fierce rally that saw Crispa, starring Fortunato Co, come to a 108-all deadlock with five seconds left from a big 57-74 deficit midway in the third quarter.

A jumper by Co, who put in 17 of his 27 points in the last quarter, forged that tie until the 37-year-old Rojas, one of only eight men Comet coach Dante Silverio used all evening, spotted Segura under the goal.

The crowd of 18,000, biggest for the PBA since the start of the second conference, let out a thunderous roar as Segura's basket sloshed through the net and handed the Comets their sixth victory over the Redmanizers and a share of first place with Crispa and Royal Tru-Orange in the eliminations.


It was also coach Dante Silverio's fourth straight win over Crispa's Virgilio Dalupan, who later said that Rojas had committed a running violation while passing off to Segura. The Comets had beaten the Redmanizers three straight times in winning the first conference championship.

Seven-Up, riding high on six-foot-eight Stephen Brooks' dominance off both boards, turned back an inspired performance by the Philippine team, 98-82, in the preliminary.

It was the fourth setback for the RP boys in their tune-up matches for the ABC meet next month in Bangkok next month and their second consecutive in as many days. They lost to Presto Ice Cream, 88-77, Wednesday.

The Comets showed the offensive sting that they lacked when they lost to Royal Tru-Orange and Noritake as they swept to that 74-57 margin midway in the third quarter.

They cracked up when Francis Arnaiz fouled out with still five minutes remaining and Toyota up by 10 at 97-87, allowing Crispa, striking behind a blazing 22-11 salvo, to equalize, 108-all.

The Comets closed out the first quarter to their favor, 26-19, took the second period by 10, 53-43, and then saw its 17-point margin cut by two points at the end of the ensuing quarter, 86-71.

The individual scores:

Toyota - 110
Jones 23
Jaworski 22
Arnaiz 16
Cherry 16
Fernandez 11
Rojas 4
C. Reynoso 2

Crispa - 108
Co 27
Adornado 20
Burks 18
Cezar 11
Crotty 10
Soriano 8
Franco 4
Hubalde 4
Pages 4
Fabiosa 2

Toyota  26  27  33  24  -  110
Crispa  19  24  28  37  -  108
Fouled out - Toyota - Arnaiz, Crispa - none