THE eighth-seeded Kapatagan Buffalo Braves lived to fight another day as they beat the third-seeded Pagadian Explorers, 96-82, in the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup quarterfinals at the Pagadian City Gymnasium on Thursday.
Faced with a twice-to-win disadvantage, the Buffalo Braves pulled out all the stops to force a deciding rubber match on Friday at 6 p.m. Waiting for the winner is fourth seed Petra Cement-Roxas.
Leading by just five, Kapatagan kicked off the fourth with a huge 15-6 run, capped by Shaq Alanes’ triple, to extend their lead to 14, 87-73, with 5:21 left. The margin would never dwindle down to single-digit as the two squads just exchanged baskets throughout the remainder of the game.
The reserves of Kapatagan stepped up as they outscored their counterparts on Pagadian, 76-37. Ryan Costelo came up big off the bench as he scored 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He also had five assists. Fellow guard Teytey Teodoro, who has been a non-factor during the eliminations, scored 14 points, including three triples.
Also pouring it in from the bench were Jay-Ar Ng Sang and Marlon Monte with 10 points apiece. Achie Iñigo was the lone starter in double figures with 11 points and five assists.
Von Dechos led Pagadian with 16 points and four assists. Rich Guinitaran had 15 points but went 4-of-14 from the field. Keanu Caballero scattered 13 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and three assists against four turnovers. (JNP)