SMC Liga Pilipinas: MisOr dethrones Niños

CAGAYAN DE ORO—The Misamis Oriental Meteors ruled the SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V National Championship by dethroning the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños, 66-60, in their one-game playoff Sunday evening at the Xavier University Gymnasium.

MisOr captured its second national championship after winning Conference II in 2009 and avenged back-to-back national final losses to the Niños.

Trailing, 35-42, midway in the third period, the Meteors dropped a 13-3 bomb led by Lyndon Gudez that pushed them ahead for good, 48-45. A late basket by Cebu’s Ariel Mepana closed out the third period, 47-48.

“It was a well-deserved victory,” said Meteors team owner Gov. Oscar S. Moreno. “It could have gone either way but the breaks of the game were for us.”

Earlier, the Laguna Golden Lions of Gov. ER Ejercito and coach Philip Cezar took third place at the expense of Cebu Landmasters RDAK-Mandaue, 85-77.

The scores:
MisOr 66—Lingganay 10, Gudez 9, Bono 8, Billones 7, Raneses 7, Daa 6, Lamocha 6, Misa 4, Larong 4, Capati 3, Lucernas 2, Gerilla 0, Moreno 0.
M. Lhuillier-Cebu 60—Maliksi 22, Saladaga 7, Ababon 7, Padilla 6, Mepana 6, Belano 5, Cruz 4, Santos 2, Dacia 1, Nailon 0, Raymundo 0.
Quarters: 9-15, 29-32, 48-47, 66-60