Game 11: Toyota 109, Crispa 105 (Nov. 7, 1975)

Toyota extended its winning streak against Crispa to six games in their first of two out-of-town meetings. The Comets’ victory created a tie in the four-team semifinals with the Redmanizers, Noritake and Royal Tru-Orange.

Toyota nips Crispa anew

By Al Mendoza
Bulletin Today
Published Saturday November 8, 1975

ILOILO CITY, Nov. 7 - Toyota, its guns blazing in the first half, cooled off anew in the final half before pulling through with eight seconds left to beat arch-rival Crispa, 109-105, in a pulse-pounding match at the University of San Agustin gym her tonight.

At the Aznar Coliseum in Cebu City, Manuel Paner’s undergoal stab with five ticks left lifted Royal Tru-Orange to an 89-87 win over Noritake that put the four semifinalists dead even with two wins and two losses apiece.

Only two games are left for each team in this double round-robin series in which the top two teams meet for the Philippine Basketball Association second conference championship.

An overflow crowd of 6,000 watched Francis Arnaiz, Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski bail the Comets out of trouble with charities in the last 27 seconds as Toyota lost the lead with 1:07 after leading by 17 points in the first quarter, 26-9.

Arnaiz, Fernandez and Jaworski combined for seven charities to give Toyota back the lead at 109-105, with eight ticks left after the Redmanizers had grabbed the lead at 105-104 when William Adornado caught fire.

It was the sixth straight win by Toyota over Crispa and its eighth in 11 games over the team it had beaten for the PBA first conference championship.

Dante Silverio’s boys meet the Redmanizers anew on Sunday in Cebu City. The game will be televised live only in Manila.

Fortunato Co gave Crispa the lead, 105-104, with a charity off a foul by Rodolfo Segura and then the Redmanizers had a chance to go ahead by three points when Adornado forced a driving Byron “Snake” Jones to lose the ball with a tap from behind, the ball hitting Jones’ knee before it went out of bounds.

Co received the inbound pass and quickly dashed to the right quartercourt. He dribbled too long and before he knew it, Arnaiz snatched the ball from behind.

The fiery Comet guard scampered for the basket like mad but the desperate Rey Franco gave him a hacking foul that was ruled intentional.

Arnaiz sank both charities to regain the lead for Toyota, 106-105, and then Fernandez made it 107-105 after getting a foul from Steve Crotty following a miss from the left by Adornado on the return play.

Bernard Fabiosa then ran like hell for the basket after Fernandez missed the second foul throw only to be slapped a charging off Jaworski by referee Eriberto Cruz, eight ticks left.

Jaworski cooly sank both free throws., 109-105, to seal the win for the Comets whose near fold-up recalled a nightmarish stand last Tuesday when tey wasted a big 23-point lead before prevailing over Royal Tru-Orange, 95-89, at the Araneta Coliseum.

The individual scores:

Toyota - 109
Arnaiz 22
Jones 21
Fernandez 17
Cherry 17
Segura 16
Jaworski 6
C. Reynoso 6
Clarino 2
Rocha 2
Rojas 0
Acuna 0
Bauzon 0

Crispa - 105
Adornado 24
Co 21
Cezar 17
Burks 16
Crotty 7
Fabiosa 7
Soriano 5
Franco 4
Pages 4
Hubalde 0
De la Cruz 0

Toyota  29  33  24  23  -  109
Crispa  19 32  27  27  -  105
Fouled out: Toyota - Segura; Crispa - none
Refs: E. Cruz, B. Marquez