Pangasinan stunned Nueva Ecija, 86-85, while San Juan went through two overtimes to subdue Pasay, 94-89, on Wednesday in the opener of their North Division quarterfinal series at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.
The Pangasinan Heatwaves bunched 12 points bridging the first and second quarters to break free, 25-15, then fended off the Rice Vanguards’ final assault to move within a win of advancing to the semifinal round.
Just like the San Juan Knights, who blew a big lead, settled for a 77-77 count in regulation, survived the first overtime, 84-84, and leaned on a closing 9-point run to trip the Pasay Voyagers.
Trailing, 74-82, with 3 minutes and 10 seconds to go, the Rice Vanguards clustered seven points to threaten, 81-82.
Veteran Vic Manuel, however, responded with a one-handed turnaround jumper, and after Nueva Ecija’s Jaycee Marcelino and Pangasinan’s Hesed Gabo traded two free throws each, Nueva Ecija’s Will McAloney scored on a follow-up with 5.2 seconds left for the final tally.
Gabo got fouled but flubbed both charities with 4.6 seconds left, allowing Nueva Ecija’s Byron Villarias to throw a long desperation heave that was way off.
Manuel wound up with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Gabo with 12 points and 5 assists, Ian Melencio with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Jorey Napoles with 8 points plus 9 rebounds, and Allyn Bulanadi with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Nueva Ecija got 17 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists from McAloney, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals from Christian Manaytay, 10 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks from Rob Celiz, and 7 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds from Jaycee Marcelino.
Orlan Wamar, atoning for his earlier miscues, again rescued the Knights from disaster, converting four charities and feeding AC Soberano for a triple in a closing 9-point San Juan run that turned the game around.
Pasay led, 89-85, on Darell Manliguez’s two free throws with 1 minute and 47 seconds left in the second extension, but couldn’t score after that, and San Juan countered through Wamar, Soberano and Arvin Gamboa’s two charities.
The first overtime ended at 84-all after Pasay’s Jasper Salenga missed a buzzer-beater jumper.
