Crispa defeated Toyota for the eighth straight time during the first round of the 1977 PBA Second Conference. The Redmanizers beat the Tamaraws who played without Robert Jaworski due to an injury.
Crispa makes it 8 straight over Toyota
By Bert Eljera
Bulletin Today
Published Friday Sept. 23, 1977
Crispa outlasted archrival Toyota last night, 107-99, in a rugged, physical contest to sweep the first round eliminations of the Philippine Basketball Association second conference before some 28,000 fans at the Araneta Coliseum.
The win was Crispa’s eighth straight over Toyota and widened the Redmanizers’ edge over the Tamaraws in their continuing duel to 27-21.
A steal by Joy Dionisio that set up Philip Cezar for a three-point play and a follow-up by Cyrus Mann off a miss by Fortunato Co gave the Redmanizers the deciding baskets as the Tamaraws, playing minus skipper Robert Jaworski, battled all the way.
The stocky Dionisio stole off Tamaraw Bruce “Sky” King then passed to Cezar who drove all the way for a lay-up, in the process fishing a foul from Jess Sta. Maria, that gave Crispa a 102-97 lead, time down to a minute and 30 seconds.
Francis Arnaiz missed on the ensuing play, got the rebound, passed to Sta. Maria, but the one-time Crispa forward missed a short jumper with Cezar pulling down the rebound.
Cezar was slapped a traveling violation, however, and Arnaiz flipped for 99-102, 55 ticks left.
Already in foul trouble while their opponents were still having two more left, Toyota sued for time but Crispa coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan used the break to instruct his boys to go for the basket and aim for three-point plays.
When the play resumed, Co drove in and got a foul from Ramon Fernandez, 103-99, missed the next two shots in a three-to-make two situations, but Mann, who was saddled with three personal fouls as early as the first quarter, leaped high for the rebound and then tapped in a follow-up that took the beat off the Redmanizers, 105-99.
Toyota missed in the next play when “Sky” King, who fired 29 points to lead all scorers, flubbed a pair of charities off a Cezar foul, 45 seconds to go.
Cezar sank two charities for the final count, 107-99, with only five ticks to go on a foul by Abe King.
“That miss by Bruze sealed our doom,” wailed coach Dante Silverio after the game. “We had a chance until those misses.”
Toyota did a miserable performance from the foul line with only 19 conversions out of 30 tries for a poor 63.33 clip, compared to the Redmanizers’ 72.22 percentage on 14 conversions out of 18 attempts.
Jaworski was sidelined with an injured right forefinger. He sustained the injury while closing the door of his car on the way to the Toyota practice last Monday.
The second round starts on Saturday with Presto Ice Cream playing Mariwasa at 6 p.m. and Seven-Up tangling with Royal Tru-Orange in the 7:45 game.
Toyota closed out with a 4-3 card, still the best record in Group A.
Significantly, Toyota’s card is identical with the last two teams in Group B — Tanduay and Seven-Up and there’s a strong possibility that all four teams in Group B may qualify for the semifinals.
Crispa started slow, trailed by eight points, 5-13, right in the first quarter but caught fire midway in the period and posted a 56-43 bubble late in the second quarter.
It was a close battle from there with Crispa coming out on top only briefly as the Tams rallied through King to level the count at 60-all early in the third quarter. The Tamaraws went on to regain the lead, 74-70.
Meanwhile, the Basketball Association of the Philippines selected yesterday the national women’s team that will compete in the 4th Asian Basketball Confederation youth championships scheduled in Kuwait Oct. 1-15.
Named to the team were Georgiana Henares, Rita Henson, Raquel Lagunan and Doda Manalansan of the University of the Philippines, Lourdes Fargas, Catrina Dayrit and Socorro Oligado of La Salle, Ruth Lagman of St. Theresa, Evelyn Hubalde of Centro Escolar U, and Muriel Aquino of Philippine Women’s U.
The alternates are Tessa Rivera of St. Theresa and Elisa Concepcion of UP.
Coach is Siegfred Guerrero of UP.
The scores:
Crispa — 107
Hubalde 22
Mann 22
Co 13
Cezar 13
Cezar 13
Guidaben 12
Hicks 8
Soriano 6
Franco 4
Fabiosa 4
Dionisio 2
Varela 1
Toyota — 99
B. King 29
Arnaiz 18
Fernandez 13
Sta. Maria 13
Irving 9
Bulaong 8
Acuna 6
A. King 3
Javier 0
Rocha 0
Legaspi 0
Crispa. 26 30 16 35 — 107
Toyota. 23 22 28 26 — 99
Refs: E. Cruz, I. Cahanding, R. Bartolome
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