Mono Vampire sneaks past Alab Pilipinas, ties ABL Finals at 1-1

Mono Vampire of Thailand. Photo from ASEAN Basketball League

STA. ROSA — Mono Vampire equalized the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League Finals at 1-1 with a thrilling 103-100 Game 2 win over San Miguel Alab Pilipinas Wednesday at Sta. Rosa Multipurpose Complex.

Sam Deguara was able to impose his presence this time, terrorizing the paint with 30 points and 20 rebounds, including the three-point play that gave the Thai side the 101-98 lead with 1:10 left.

Renaldo Balkman still made things interesting with a strong drive with a minute left, but Ray Parks missed what could have been a go-ahead jumper in the final minute.

Paul Zamar, who only mustered 12 points, four assists, and three boards, canned the marginal freebies with 15.4 ticks left to make it a three-point lead, 103-100.

Justin Brownlee had a chance to force overtime in the waning seconds, but he muffed his triple attempts, the toughest of which just rimmed out as time expired.

Michael Singletary flirted with a triple-double with his 26 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, while Fil-Am guard Jason Brickman was magnificent anew with his 15 points, 11 dimes, and six rebounds.

Darongpan Apiromvilaichai also stepped up for the locals with 12 points as Mono Vampire took hold of a 10-point lead, 44-34 in the second period.

The two teams break the tie in Game 3 as the series shifts to Mono Vampire’s home floor on Saturday at Stadium 29 in Bangkok.

Balkman led San Miguel Alab Pilipinas with 37 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists as he did much of the heavy lifting with Brownlee nursing an apparent right knee injury that kept him out of the game for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Bobby Ray Parks Jr., who was named as the 2018 ABL Local MVP, chipped in 21 points, eight boards, and four assists, while Brownlee and Josh Urbiztondo both got 14 in the defeat.

The Scores:

MONO VAMPIRE 103 — Deguara 30, Singletary 26, Brickman 12, Apiromvilaichai 12, Zamar 12, Chanthachon 4, Klahan 4, Sunthonsiri 0.
SAN MIGUEL ALAB PILIPINAS 100 — Balkman 37, Parks 21, Brownlee 14, Urbiztondo 14, Javelona 6, Domingo 4, Alabanza 2, Hontiveros 2, Raymundo 0.

Quarters: 24-20, 52-45, 78-73, 103-100.