DFS Galleria played a nearly flawless game in the finals of the 4th Shirley's Coffee Shop Basketball League to post a convincing 97-75 win over pennant champion Dollar Days last Saturday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

It was DFS' second straight championship in the league, as it also topped the 2011 edition of the competition after beating PSS/McGraw-Hill in the finals, 92-63.

DFS took an early double-digit lead in the first quarter, 12-2, and never lost it, as the back-to-back winner gave Dollar Days a clinic on how to play a championship game. Coach Rufino Aguon's wards again displayed impressive ball movement, made a lot of long and short jumpers, forced several errors and converted them into fastbreak plays, and had good spacing that created passing lanes. On defense, DFS took away Dollar Days fastbreak game, pushed the opposing team's big men out of their comfort zone, and forced the eventual runner-up to take more outside shots, which it mostly missed.

While almost everything worked for DFS in the finals, Dollar Days had a nightmare in the most important game of the season. Dollar Days was held to one field goal in the first half of the opening quarter, had to bleed for points inside with only Bart Demapan having some success in the paint, but still it was not enough to bring the team back after facing a 10-23 deficit at the end of that period.

Dollar Days' two other frontliners-Kae Bernardo and Jawn Joyner-had a miserably night. Bernardo was held to one field goal until the last basket of the game and finished with only 5 points. Joyner was scoreless, hitting an airball from the free throw line where Dollar Days muffed a bundle. The backcourt players-Wowie Abuel, Jun Pantaleon, and Brandon Talania-took time to make long shots and could not hit them in streaks. Then there was Ivan Devero, who still top-scored for Dollar Days with his 18 points, but had to change most of his shots in midair, as DFS defenders ganged up on him.

The rest of Dollar Days players watched helplessly as DFS coasted to the championship, leading by as much as 27, 70-43, in the third period. The third canto started with Dollar Days facing a manageable 35-48 deficit. Dollar Days even brought DFS' lead down to single digits early in the second, 21-29, but the latter connected on three triples early in the third to notch a 20-plus advantage.

DFS had cruise control from thereon despite losing Jack Lizama due to five fouls in the opening minutes of the fourth canto. Lizama gave an and-1 basket to Bart Demapan and Ivan Devero earlier had the same shot, but the two Dollar Days players failed to complete the 3-point plays. If their bonus shots both went in, Dollar Days would have cut the lead to 14 and gained some momentum with still over eight minutes left in the game. A short 8-0 run off Elmer Esdrelon's triple and a layup and Keoni Chariton's trey brought DFS' lead back to 20-plus and Dollar Days finally threw in the towel in the last three minutes of the one-sided finale.

Esdrelon top-scored for DFS with his 29 points, Chariton added 17, while Lizama and Dan Barcinas chipped in 16 and 12, respectively. Gino Libuw and Junar Guiab combined for 16 markers for DFS' balance offense.

DFS 97 - Esdrelon 29, Chariton 17, Lizama 16, Barcinas 12, Libuw 9, Guiab 7, Dikito 2, Rabago 2.

Dollar Days 75 - I. Devero 18, Demapan 17, Pantaleon 13, Abuel 12, Talania 8, Bernardo 5, C. Devero 2.

Scoring by quarters: 23-10, 48-35, 77-57, 97-75.