THE VICTORIOUS NLEX squad and its supporters celebrate their sixth D-League title. Contributed photo/Nuki Sabio
The league’s most dominant team completed a perfect run .
Steady in the clutch, NLEX turned back Blackwater Sports, 81-78, to cap a 13-0 sweep and capture its sixth championship in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup yesterday at Mall of Asia Arena.
The Road Warriors again turned to its roster of amateur stars led by Jake Pascual, Ronald Pascual, Garvo Lanete and Ola Adeogun to deliver in the final quarter and quell the Elite’s late fightback.
“I really have good players,” said coach Boyet Fernandez after his Road Warriors dethroned the Elite with a 2-0 title series sweep.
“Without them, we won’t be here. This is much sweeter because we beat the team that swept us [in the Finals last year]. It’s redemption for us.”
Jake Pascual led NLEX with 15 points, including a crucial layup with 67 seconds left that gave the Road Warriors a four-point cushion, 77-73.
Game 1 hero Ronald Pascual stepped up anew by dropping eight of his 13 points in the final quarter, where the Elite rallied to grab the lead, 67-65, behind Reil Cervantes.
“We really started flat in the second half,” said Fernandez. “The players weren’t running, they were just playing along in the game. But it wasn’t overconfidence. Blackwater was really playing well the whole game. We were lucky that we were able to get back in the fourth.”
Ola Adeogun posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds and Pamboy Raymundo finished with 13 points as they presided over the Road Warriors’ second-quarter surge where they led by as many as 12 points, 40-28.
Garvo Lanete added 12 points to round out the five double-digit scorers of the Road Warriors, who blasted the Elite in Game 1, 90-77.
Kevin Alas, honored as the conference Most Valuable Player before the game, nailed an insurance free throw with eighth-tenths of a second left after a Pari Llagas triple pushed the Elite within a basket, 80-78.
Cervantes paced the Elite with a game-high 31 points, 23 in the second half, while Kevin Ferrer finished with 20 points despite going scoreless in the fourth period.
The scores:
NLEX 81—J. Pascual 15, Adeogun 14, Raymundo 13, R. Pascual 13, Lanete 12, Dela Rosa 5, Alas 3, Dela Cruz 2, K. Pascual 2, Ganuelas 2, Long 0.
BLACKWATER 78—Cervantes 31, Ferrer 20, J. Cruz 9, M. Cruz 5, Mangahas 3, Llagas 3, Pinto 3, Bulawan 2, Austria 2, Ciriacruz 0, Pe 0, Trollano 0, Soyud 0.
Quarters: 27-20, 42-38, 62-62, 81-78