Game 18: Crispa 111, Toyota 107 (Dec. 8, 1975)

The all-Filipino strategy of coach Baby Dalupan worked wonders anew as Crispa beat Toyota to tie the 1975 PBA All-Philippine Championship title series at 1-1. Bogs Adornado recovered from a dismal performance in the series opener to score a game-high 27 points.

Crispa stops Toyota, 111-107

By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Tuesday December 9, 1975

Crispa-Floro leaned back on an all-Filipino crew when all seemed gone last night and subdued Toyota, 111-107, in another pulsating encounter that levelled the Redmanizers with the Comets at one win apiece in their best-of-five series for the Philippine Basketball Association third conference championship.

Fighting like tigers in going for loose balls while putting an impeccable defense, the Redmanizers outclassed the Comets in the final quarter to register a badly needed victory that assured the series of a fourth game.

It was a game to be remembered primarily because of Crispa coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan’s unwavering trust in his Filipino boys who seemed to come up with the finest and most elegant of plays when odds are stacked high against them.


Three errors by the Comets, two of them by star import Byron “Snake” Jones, and two steals by the Redmanizers in the last four minutes set Crispa to a blazing finish as the reputedly rock-steady Comets collapsed from the immense pressure.

William Adornado, who had to suffer the ignominy of finishing with only six points in the series opener Saturday night, came back with vengeance and streaked for 27 points, 10 of them in the last 12 minutes as he supplemented the heroics of Philip Cezar and Rodolfo Soriano.

Cezar stood his ground both against Jones and Stan Cherry and pumped in 22 points, Soriano made 12 while being utilized by Dalupan as a guard, a position he rarely is assigned.

Fortunato co and Bernard Fabiosa were the other members of Crispa’s purely Filipino cast which played the entire quarter.

Dalupan had held Peter Crotty in reserve in case his Filipino boys were to be routed by the Comets. But he found no use of Crotty, as well as Johnny Burks who was sparingly employed, as the Redmanizers rose from an eight-point deficit, 86-94, to take the lead for good at 100-98, on a 14-4 cluster by Adornado, Cezar, Fabiosa and Soriano.

A three-second violation by Jones sent Crispa to a 102-98 advantage before Rodolfo Segura answered back for Toyota. But Segura committed a passing error on the return play and Cezar ignited a 4-0 burst to place the outcome almost beyond doubt, 107-100, one minute left.

A 5-2 explosion by the Comets somewhat revived Toyota’s hope but Co ended it all by splitting his charities for a 109-105 lead, 20 seconds left.

The third game between the two teams will be played tomorrow, also at the Araneta Coliseum at 7:45 p.m. while preceding it will be the U-Tex-Royal Tru-Orange encounter starting at 6 p.m.

The Weavers also evened up their score against the Orangemen by coming up with an easy 131-114 victory.

Dalupan he would not hesitate to use an all-Filipino crew in the succeeding games but added there will be restraint “and it will depend on the situation.”

Tempers were kept at bay by strict officiating although at one point, Francis Arnaiz nearly ignited a riot when he hit Adornado in the back of the head while picking up his sixth foul on the Crispa ace.

Adornado, in a gesture of fair play let the incident pass although Soriano felt his teammate was unnecessarily aggrievated and exchanged threatening words with Arnaiz.

The individual scores:

Crispa  - 111
Adornado 27
Cezar 22
Crotty 12
Soriano 12
Co 11
Franco 10
Fabiosa 9
Burks 4
Hubalde 2
Guidaben 2
De la Cruz 0
Calilan 0

Toyota - 107
Jones 23
Segura 19
Arnaiz 19
Fernandez 12
Cherry 12
Jaworski 10
Rocha 8
Bauzon 4
Reynoso A. 0
Acuna 0

Crispa  28  29  23  31  -  111
Toyota  31  31  20  25  - 107
Refs: E. Cruz, I. Cahanding