Cabalen only had six players available but still managed to completely dominate Bicol Express 82-71 and clinch a fifth straight win and with it top spot in Group A of the McFearin Basketball Association Season 1.
Cabalen shot the lights out from the perimetre and the three-point arc at Zayed Bin Sultan Gym in Satwa, Dubai, to take control of the game from start to finish.
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They established a six-point advantage, 24-18, at the end of the first quarter and enjoyed their biggest lead – a 37-20 advantage – in the middle of the second
The third quarter saw both teams exchanging baskets and Cabalen held on to the lead, 65-57, going into the final period.
But fatigue caught up with them in the fourth quarter which paved the way for Bicol Express to catch up, trimming the deficit, 68-64.
Player-coach Jhoms Palad, however, drained back-to-back triples to douse Bicol Express’ rally and give Cabalen a 10-point lead, 74-64, with barely two minutes left in the game.
Palad then sealed the game after he was fouled on his next three-point attempt and made the triple free throws.
“It was a total team effort. I couldn’t be prouder of us for winning the game,” Palad told Sport360°.
“We tried to pace ourselves in the first half because we only had six players but luck was on our side and our shots just kept falling in so we just pushed for the win,”
Palad top-scored with 36 points including six triples.
He got much support from Ferdinand Dunglao and George Abano who added 21 and 10 markers respectively.
In other games, Luminous overpowered RC Reunion 76-60, while Zuma were also winners, escaping Kyemates 89-84.