Game 105: Crispa 111, Toyota 110 (Oct. 15, 1981)

Crispa paraded for the first time three players from MICAA champion Apcor and defeated Toyota in the 1981 PBA Reinforced All-Filipino quarterfinals as Mon Fernandez a game-tying free throw in the dying seconds.

Crispa posts 111-110 win

By Philip Evardone
Bulletin Today

Published Friday Oct. 16, 1981

Ramon Fernandez split his charities with 11 seconds left last night and Crispa escaped with a 111-110 victory over arch rival Toyota in the quarterfinal round of the PBA Reinforced All-Filipino Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

With Crispa ahead by two, 111-109, the 6’4’’ ace, missed his second try on a foul by Bernard Fabiosa and Crispa import Allan Green skillfully dribbled away the last seconds to preserve the Redmanizers’ victory.

The contest played before a crowd of 16,000 was the 105th meeting of the two PBA titans and the win hiked Crispa’s overall lead to 56-49.

“We have yet to blend into one solid team,” Dalupan said, in reference to his overhauling of the Crispa bench. “I’m satisfied with the way the boys played. I think the enthusiasm is there.”

Yco-Tanduay rode high on Russell Murray’s fiery shooting in the last quarter to beat Tefilin, 122-112, and hand the Polyesters their second straight loss in the round of six. Murray scored 25 of his topscoring 52 points in the last quarter.

Except for the early part of the game, the Redmanizers, unveiling three new recruits from the amateur ranks, were in command, by as much as 16 points, 52-36, midway in the second half as Crispa displayed its superiority in manpower.

But compared to their more interesting encounters in the past, the game lacked the usual intensity as the Redmanizers dictated the tempo of the match.

Outrebounded, 46-53, the Super Diesels trailed by 12 points in the final quarter, 89-101, until Arnulfo Tuadles, the hottest Super Diesel who topscored with 30 points, ignited Toyota’s blistering windup.

Sensing the danger, Dalupan summoned back all his regulars and Fortunato Co, Jr., who marked his 30th birthday yesterday, promptly responded with back-to-back jumpshots to temporarily stall Toyota’s drive, 109-106, two minutes left.

Tuadles succumed to late leg cramps after that but Fernandez ran rings around Alberto Guidaben and scored five straight points, capped by a three-point play off Guidaben’s last foul, to cut Crispa’s lead to two, 111-109, 51 ticks remaining.

Fabiosa missed on a drive on the return play with 31 seconds left and Fernandez pulled down the rebound before Fabiosa made that foul in a ballhawking attempt.

“It was a good game but Crispa has a clear advantage, man for man,” said Toyota mentor Ed Ocampo.

When asked to comment on the Redmanizers’ sudden move to overhaul their bench, Ocampo said: “You don’t overhaul your car when it is in good condition.”

The three new Crispa players — former Apcor standouts Padim Israel, Elpidio Villamin and Arturo Cristobal — all saw action and contributed 16 points, 10 of them by Israel.

The individual scores:

Crispa — 111

Guidaben 23

Co 16

Hubalde 14

Mamaril 13

Fabiosa 10

Israel 10

Green 6

Cezar 6

Distrito 6

Villamin 4

Cruz 2

Cristobal 2

Toyota — 110

Tuadles 30

Fernandez 24

Arnaiz 23

Talley 14

Jaworski 10

King 5

Bulaong 2

Florencio 2

Herrera 2

Quarterscores: 29-28, 56-48, 82-79, 111-110

Crispa  29  27  26  29 — 111

Toyota  28  20  30  32 — 110

Refs: W. Mateo, F. Santarina, R. Manuel