BRUNEI—Junjun Cabatu came to the rescue for the second straight game and Egay Billones took charge in overtime as the Philippine Patriots outlasted the Brunei Barracudas, 72-67, in the AirAsia Asean Basketball League Saturday night at the Brunei Indoor Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan here.
Cabatu knocked in a triple from the left corner with 7.1 seconds left to forge the extra period, 61-61, after the Barracudas had wiped out the Patriots’ 10-point lead, 55-45, in the last eight minutes of the fourth quarter.
The veteran Billones, a former PBA guard, drilled seven of the team’s 11 points in the extension as the defending champions remained perfect with a third straight victory, despite the absence of injured import Anthony Johnson.
“I’m very satisfied with our locals,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “In the last four minutes they really played hard.”
The Patriots fielded an all-Filipino crew in the final stretch as their remaining American import, 6-foot-10 Donald Little, fouled out with 3:45 minutes left in overtime.
Cabatu finished with a team-high 16 points, just a week after the former La Salle standout also delivered the game-winning basket in the Patriots’ 62-59 escape over the Singapore Slingers at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Billones shot 14 points, including a three-pointer that pushed the Patriots ahead to stay, 70-67, with 1:42 minutes left in overtime.
“I just told Egay to do his thing,” said Alas. “Cabatu is also turning into our go-to guy. He showed tremendous poise.”
Little posted his first double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds aside from blocking three shots for the Patriots, who kept a share of the lead with the Thailand Slammers at 3-0.
Johnson, sidelined by a hamstring injury, is expected to return against the Thailand Slammers on Saturday in Bangkok.
Brunei’s three Filipino imports starred in a fourth-quarter 15-3 spurt that gave the Barracudas a 60-58 lead with 40 seconds left.
Chester Tolomia drilled back-to-back triples, while Bryan Faundo’s jumper and Ramsey Williams’ two free throws lifted Brunei ahead for the first time.
Chris Commons, Brunei’s American import, could have given the Barracudas a decisive four-point lead but he canned only one of two foul shots, 61-58, with 13.3 seconds left.
Cabatu then nailed the game-tying trey on the next play from a hand-off by Little.
“It was a great game, we gave all that we could, but this is how the ball bounces,” said Brunei’s American coach Ozell Wells.
Commons paced Brunei with 17 points, while Tolomia scored all of the Barracudas’ six points in overtime to finish with 15.
Faundo and Williams had 14 points each for the winless Barracudas.
In Jakarta, the Thailand Slammers also stretched their winning run to three after blasting Indonesia Satria Muda BritAma, 84-63, Saturday night at The BritAma Arena.
Jason Dixon, the Patriots’ former American import, led the Slammers with 28 points and 18 boards. He played a pivotal role in the Patriots’ championship run last season to bag the Best Import award.
The scores:
PHILIPPINES 72—Cabatu 16, Billones 14, Little 14, Fernandez 11, Salangsang 8, Jaime 3, Sta. Maria 2, Ybañez 2, Sta. Cruz 2, Crisano 0, Daroya 0.
BRUNEI 67—Commons 17, Tolomia 15, Faundo 14, Ramsey 14, Garnett 4, Tan 3, Lim 0, Fong 0.
Quarters: 19-15, 33-27, 50-43, 61-61 (reg.), 72-67
PHILIPPINES 72—Cabatu 16, Billones 14, Little 14, Fernandez 11, Salangsang 8, Jaime 3, Sta. Maria 2, Ybañez 2, Sta. Cruz 2, Crisano 0, Daroya 0.
BRUNEI 67—Commons 17, Tolomia 15, Faundo 14, Ramsey 14, Garnett 4, Tan 3, Lim 0, Fong 0.
Quarters: 19-15, 33-27, 50-43, 61-61 (reg.), 72-67
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