Jeddah Marogong claims Pasiklaban 2013 Champions Cup

For Jeddah Marogong All Star, there is no place like home.
Two months after a failed bid in an away regional event, Marogong All Star took care of business to win the title in the Pasiklaban 2013 Champions Cup regional event organized by Liga Pinoy in cooperation with WPBL at the Ahmad Khaki Sports Complex (Orca) basketball court on Tahlia Street here.
The two-day event took place during the Haj holidays and attracted hordes of basketball fans that were treated to first-class basketball entertainment.
Bannered by Boyet Bautista and Co. from Samco and the Shadow Lounge trio of Robby David, Ron Magat and Morsi Akad, Jeddah Marogong outplayed and outclassed Riyadh All Star 101-84 in the final during the second day on Thursday.
Marogong and Riyadh arranged the title showdown by respectively beating Leyte Lanao Paparotti 71-62 and Friendster 91-86 on the first day Wednesday.
While Marogong easily disposed of coach Lito Villanueva’s All Star team in a lopsided contest the knockout game for third and fourth between Louie Mulles’ Paparotti and Cris Melebo’s Friendster was a thriller as Paparroti rallied from 23 points down in the third quarter to beat Friendster 75-73 in a rematch of their Ramadan Beat the Best final.
Raymond Alcasabas scored 22 points capping his game-long brilliance by hitting the tying basket at 73-all with 48 ticks left and setting up cat-quick guard Jayson Rex Dandoy for the game clincher with 1.3 seconds to play.
With 10 seconds to play and Paparotti in possession, Friendster failed to stop what proved the game-winning play by the visitors. Alcasabas received the ball from center court and fed an open Dandoy near the basket on the left side, and without hesitation Dandoy hit a layup. Paparoti, which collected 33 points from Jun Gracilla, then broke up Friendster’s final offensive as the buzzer sounded.
Firing on all cylinders, Marogong grabbed an early 14-6 lead, hit the turn up by 9 points at 43-34 and led by as many as 23 points 89-66 midway in the fourth quarter on a three by Bautista.
Bautista, named MVP of the event for which he received a Casio G Shock watch courtesy of Francis Magat, finished the game with 23 points, Akad added 21 and David had 12 points.
For coach Boy Corsega and Marogong the victory was a redemption of their forgettable stint in the UFBF Ramadan regional in Dammam.
In the side event Inter-Muslim, Junaid Maguindanao Selection defeated Riyadh Bangsamoro Selection 96-93 in the final thanks mainly to Mohammed, Akad and Yoyong Akmad who scored 10, 16 and 10 in that order.
Baloi Maranao Selection beat Hammadi Tausug Selection 79-65 in the battle for third place.
Liga Pinoy Commissioner James Roxas would like to thank major sponsors Mobily Globe through Rannie Basanta, who specially traveled from Riyadh for this big event, and Toyota. Eric Abrantes and Jimmy Abdullah Beltran donated the Open Rated and Inter-Muslim champion trophies respectively.