Crispa recovered from being down in the first quarter to beat Toyota at the start of the 1978 PBA second conference semifinals. The win also the 400s’ third against the Tamaraws in as many games in the tournament.
Crispa five downs Toyota
By Bert Eljera
Bulletin Today
Published Monday Oct. 23, 1978
Defending champion Crispa, taking advantage of the absence of Toyota import Carlos Terry, overcame an early 13-point deficit to turn back the Tamaraws, 136-123, in the opening games of the PBA second conference semfinals at the Araneta Coliseum.
Terry sprained his ankle three days ago and watched the action from the bench with his right foot in plaster cast.
With him out, the Tams were routed at center where Crispa imports Ansley Truitt and Paul Mills proved too much for Bruce “Sky” King.
The victory gave the 400s a share of the lead with U-Tex in the four-team semifinals.
The Wranglers, powered by Glenn McDonald and Byron “Snake” Jones, subdued the Tanduay Esquires, 106-96, in the first game.
McDonald fired a night-high 29 points while Jones pumped in 22 and grabbed 18 rebounds in a fiery team-up as the Wranglers sprinted to an early 21-10 lead which they never relinquished.
Coach Tommy Manotoc’s boys went on to pad their lead to 17, 49-32, at halftime, before the Esquires woke up from their lethargy in the third period and staged a rally that razed the Wranglers’ lead to five, 70-65.
But Ricky Pineda scored on a side jumper to spark an 8-2 splurge that restored U-Tex’s lead to 11, 78-67.
The Tamaraws’ ranks were further decimated by fouls in the fourth quarter. Francis Arnaiz, who topscored for Toyota with 23 points, fouled out with still five minutes left at the height of a Toyota rally while three others — Robert Jaworski, Ernesto Estrada and Abe King — hobbled with five fouls. Jaworski’s first three fouls came in the first quarter.
“We were just lucky,” said Crispa coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan. “The absence of Terry was a big factor in our victory.”
The win was the third straight by the Redmanizers over the Tams in this conference and it widened their overall lead in their four-year-old rivalry to 34-26.
With Truitt and Mills alternating at the slots to give Crispa a big 61-38 edge in rebounds, the 400s ripped open a close battle with a 15-3 spurt that gave the defending champs an insurmountable 133-118 lead, a minute and 20 seconds left.
Truitt pulled down 18 rebounds while Mills had 13 and combined for 38 points.
Fortunato Co, Jr., who was held scoreless in the first two periods, waxed hot in the third quarter and staked the 400s to their first solid lead, a nine-pointer at 93-84.
A 15-10 flurry by Dante Silverio’s boys sparked by Fernandez and Jaworski enabled the Tams to narrow the gap to four, 99-103, at the end of the third period.
The scores:
Crispa — 136
Cezar 24
Guidaben 24
Truitt 20
Mills 18
Hubalde 16
Co 14
Adornado 8
Fabiosa 7
Dionisio 6
D.L. Cruz 1
Varela 0
Toyota — 123
Arnaiz 23
Fernandez 23
Jaworski 22
A. King 19
B. King 16
Estrada 15
Salazar 3
Bulaong 2
Legaspi 0
Quarterscores: 28-40, 66-all, 103-99, 136-123
Crispa 28 38 37 33 — 136
Toyota 40 26 33 24 — 123
Refs: E. Cruz, J. Obias, R. Manuel
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