The game against Flash Cargo Riyadh All Star was an uphill battle but NPC found a way to score an 82-76 victory in overtime in an early battle of heavyweights in the FABA Kingdom Dream Games 2013 basketball Tournament at the Al Nahda Sports Club here.
Former PBA-Sta. Lucia player Melvin Mamaclay scored 22 points, Precious Sinco, a prized recruit from the Southern Tagalog region, had 15 and another ex-PBA Jessie Cabanayan, formerly of Purefoods, added 10 as NPC took the measure of the visiting team from Riyadh for its first win in the Premier League Division.
The game was back and forth in the first two quarters. The first half ended 37-all.
Opening salvo for the third canto mirrored the previous two quarters with both teams separated by not more than four points until Ley Duey hit back-to-back threes to give NPC a five-point margin. Flash Cargo led by 57-54 to end the third period.
Sinco of NPC and Earlwin Hernandez of Flash Cargo electrified the crowd with their heated exchange of baskets. Hernandez eventually matched Sinco’s output of 10 points.
With 1 minute and 7 seconds to play and NPC up by two points at 69-67, Flash Cargo coach Arnel Legaspi sued for timeout.
Right after the inbounds pass Duey hit a jumper to tie the score at 69, time down to 52 seconds. On the next trip Jessie Cabanayan fed Mamaclay inside for a finger roll, 71-69, in favor of NPC with 42 seconds left. A pandemonium broke out in the stands as Flash Cargo guard Raymond Alcasabas tied the score at 71 on a fastbreak basket from an assist pass by Vonz Santos.
Both teams then failed to cash in in the last 36 seconds, NPC committing a turnover and Flash Cargo falling victim to its rival’s defensive stop.
In the five-minute extra period, Flash Cargo ran out of gas and simply collapsed in the last two minutes to pave the way for the NPC victory.
NPC coach Gil Rivera said his team is well prepared and more organized than before in a veiled threat to his opponents in the succeeding games.
Mamaclay was declared best player of the game.
Elsewhere, Chance Team thwarted UD Wellness Score 83-79, SIGMA Paints massacred Saudi Diesel 85-58, COSMA (Al Kabanni) defeated Easternpak 87-77, IPSA Parents downed Pampanga Falcons 91-87, and Abdul Karim edged Al Khorayef Score 70-69.
The scores:
NPC (82) Mamaclay 22, Sinco 15, Cabanayan 10, Macalalad 9, Sinio 6, Bagay 2, Villas 2, Bucalin 2, Bulauan 2, Ordan 2
Flash Cargo Riyadh All Star (76) Duey 21, Hernadez 13, Santos 13, Patrick Villanueva 9, Villafuerte 8, Alcasabas 8, Vallejo 2
Games today:
7 a.m. UD Wellness vs. Dammam All Star, 8:30 a.m. JAKALS vs. Khobar Warior 10 a.m., Geyad vs. Nesma, 11:30 a.m. Hyper Panda vs. COSMA, 1 p.m. FAEC vs. Bangus Restaurant, 2:30 p.m. FAEC junior team. vs. IPSA Parents, 4 p.m. Motairy Al Nahda vs. Easternpak, 5:30 p.m. ISO Shooters vs. STC
NPC derails Flash Cargo in overtime
