The Hoopaholics was declared the winner of a fight-marred semis game against I Love Ladder Beach, while KB Market stunned top-ranked AXE Proa in the other Final Four match in the 2013 UFO-Budweiser Open Division Basketball League last Thursday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

I Love Ladder Beach was ahead in the first semis game, 66-54, when the controversial duel was halted at the 7:44 mark of the fourth canto after a bench-clearing incident. The squabble started when the Hoops’ Ben Lisua drove toward the right baseline and slammed into I Love Ladder Beach’s Elgene Mangali, who fell on the floor. Lisua then threw the ball on Mangali, who quickly got up and swung at the former. Lisua retaliated, while his teammate Zack Babauta also punched Mangali. The ensuing events saw players getting off their benches and the starting five from both camps entering the court to either pacify their respective teammates or threw wayward punches, while referees also stepped into the melee. It took a while before order was restored back in the game, as a spectator added heat to the already intense situation, as he got into the nerves of I Love Ladder Beach players, shouting unpleasant words.

After almost 20 minutes, the referees made the decision, ejecting Lisua, Babauta, and Mangali for throwing punches. Then for the bench clearing incident, I Love Ladder Beach took the stiffer penalty, as its entire second and third stringers were also ejected, leaving the team with only four players—Alex Standish, Ken McCain, Wowie Abuel, and Rolly Paraiso. The Hoops, though losing starters Babauta and Lisua, had five players remaining. They were Kelvin Fitial, Alex Lauron, Jerry Diaz, who were on the court before the fight happened, and Mel Manibusan and Walter Mendez, who according to the referees did not leave the Hoops’ bench when the scuffle took place.

As expected, I Love Ladder Beach contested the decision and in the end it begged off from resuming the game, giving the Hoops the win via forfeiture. Coach Boy Garcia then met with officials of host United Filipino Organizations last Saturday night to contest the referees’ decision and was told that the time frame (24 hours) for filing a protest had already lapsed. Garcia later told Saipan Tribune in a telephone interview that “it’s only in UFO league that a leading team lost the game.”

With the sorry defeat, the title game set for this Thursday will feature the third-ranked Hoops against the fourth-seeded KB Market, which notched the last finals berth after outlasting the then unbeaten Proa in a game of streaks.

KB Market started the match with a 10-2 blast and after a timeout Proa counted with a 17-0 run to post its biggest lead. However, KB Market had another 10-2 rally to move within a hair at the end of the opening canto. The exchanges continued in the next two quarters before KB Market gained momentum around the halfway mark of the final period and had a nearly perfect performance at the foul line to pull away.

Elmer Esdrelon, who was held scoreless in the first three cantos, started KB Market’s barrage of charities with his pair that grabbed the lead from Proa, 69-68, with 5:03 left in the match. Esdrelon’s charities went on to spark a 10-0 spurt, handing KB Market its biggest advantage. In that rally, Esdrelon canned two more free throws, while Junar Guiab, who was also without a field goal in the first three frames, nailed two short jumpers, and Marlon De Dios made a reverse layup.

A triple from Dan Barcinas ended Proa’s silence, but it did not spark one final push for the top-ranked squad, while KB Market sealed the win from the foul line. Esdrelon went 6-for-6 from the stripe in the closing minutes, while Darwin Barbo, Leo Galarse, and Brendon Talania all hit 2-for-2, while Devero split his charities. In the fourth quarter alone, KB Market was 17-for-18 from the 15-foot line, while Proa only converted 7 shots from the stripe.

Proa could not launch a counterattack against KB Market after losing gunner Lerio Pagarao to five fouls early in the fourth. Barcinas, Jack Lizama, and Marvin Rabauliman tried to step up, but they failed to nail baskets in succession and were forced to commit frustration fouls.

KB Market 92 – Devero 17, Talania 14, Galarse 12, Esdrelon 12, Muleta 9, Barbo 8, Aquino 6, Guiab 4, Berline 2.
AXE Proa 79 – Barcinas 20, Pagarao 16, Barcinas 13, Libuw 9, Sablan 9, Rabauliman 8, Villacrusis 2.
Scoring by quarters: 20-21, 41-35, 57-54