Unbeaten Crispa edged shorthanded Toyota in their first meeting since an infamous brawl marred their previous meeting two months earlier.
Crispa shades Toyota
Bulletin Today
Published Wednesday June 22, 1977
Crispa outsteadied Toyota in a pulsating down-to-the-wire contest last night, 116-114, and moved to within a game of sweeping the two-round robin eliminations of the PBA first conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
Clutch hits by Fortunato Co, Jr., charities by Alfredo Hubalde and a dribbling error by Toyota’s Oscar Rocha in the dying minutes of the game decided the thriller in favor of the Redmanizers.
The victory, a repeat of Crispa’s 122-121 win over Toyota in a tumultuous season opener last April 17, was the Redmanizers’ 13th straight — just one win shy of a 14-game sweep.
The loss — Toyota’s second straight — lowered the Tamaraws’ record to 7-5, still tops in Group A, ahead of Mariwasa (7-6) and Presto (6-6).
Crispa’s victory came after the Tanduay Distillers boosted their record to 9-4, second best in the league, with a convincing 115-110 conquest of 7-Up in the first game.
Diminutive Rene Canent led eight Distillers in double figures as Caloy Loyzaga’s boys made it two in a row over the Uncolas.
The sweet-shooting Co scored five of his game-high 32 points in the last two minutes which saw Baby Dalupan’s charges recover from a slim one-point deficit, 110-109.
After Rocha’s dribbling error, Hubalde scored what proved to be the winning charities with 20 seconds left.
Actually Toyota showed up with 10 men plus Coach Dante Silverio, who went direct to the coliseum after arriving late in the afternoon from Indonesia where he competed in an international car rally.
It was trainer-assistant Nathaniel Canson who called the shots for the Tamaraws and though Rodolfo Seguar and Aurelio “Boy” Clarino showed up in uniform, both sat out the match.
Silverio said after the game that Segura is under disciplinary action and definitely will not play the rest of the season and will be traded to another team for the next conference.
“We feel that Seguar is not contributing anything to the team effort,” said SIlverio. “For the good of everybody, I think it would be better if he is traded to another team.”
Mainstays Ramon Fernandez, Francis Arnaiz and Gil Cortez and rookie Emerito Legaspi were still on the sick list.
This handicap in manpower, however, was hardly felt by Toyota as the Tamaraws put up a good fight to the delight of some 15,000 fans.
Rodolfo Soriano supported Co with 19 points while Philip Cezar had 18.
Jess Sta. Maria led the Tamaraws’ gallant stand with 27 points while rookie Abe King, a revelation at center, fired 21 points.
Poor foul shooting added to the Tams’ downfall as they were able to convert only 28 of 42 attempts for a 66.7 percentage.
On the other hand, Crispa made 22 of 27 tries for a high 81.48 clip.
The scores:
Crispa — 116
Co 32
Soriano 19
P. Cezar 18
Hubalde 14
Guidaben 13
Fabiosa 8
Pages 6
Varela 4
Torres 2
Calilan 0
Dionisio 0
Toyota — 114
Sta. Maria 27
King 21
Rocha 16
Jaworski 15
Javier 11
Acuna 10
Bulaong 8
Bauzon 6
Crispa 28. 27. 34. 27 — 116
Toyota 23 32 36. 23 — 114
Refs: I. Cahanding, V. Marquez, T. de los Reyes
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