Defending champion Armatech/MDX is back in the finals and will be battling unbeaten Blue Haus in the title game in the 2013 UFO-Budweiser Masters Division Basketball League this Saturday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Armatech and Blue Haus arranged their winner-take-all finale this weekend after downing separate semis foes last Tuesday night. Blue Haus took the first finals berth and stretched its winning run this season to 11 after a 97-78 rout of D&Q Degree, while Armatech secured the second and last finals ticket after eliminating Laguna/Erika’s Catering in the other semis pairing, 98-80.

Third-ranked Armatech may have won by 18 points, but it once clung to a shaky 2-point cushion before Laguna lost focus in the last four minutes of the match, concentrating more on contesting calls instead of keeping its foe within striking distance.

Laguna had a chance to either tie the game or grab the lead when it had possession at the 82-80 tally, but Amor Zapanta’s entry pass to Melvin Villarin was intercepted by Elmer Pineda, who then went coast-to-coast for a layup to give Armatech more breathing room.
Another botched play from Laguna returned the ball to Armatech, which got another break when Jun Alipio was called for a technical foul for excessive complaining. Alipio contested that Armatech’s Martin Moreno touched the ball last in a battle for the loose ball at the right corner against Laguna’s Rey Darag. The referee saw otherwise and with Alipio still complaining, the Laguna big man was called for the infraction and Armatech’s Sonny Ebuen canned both charities for their 86-80 advantage, with still three minutes left in the match.

Armatech went on to hit 12 more free throws in the remaining minutes of the fourth quarter, as Laguna completely lost it, committing one foul after another. Laguna reached its boiling point at the 1:13 mark of the fourth when coach Jerry “Mutombo” Lopez entered the playing court and uttered heated words with the referee. The Laguna mentor was slapped with a technical foul and led some of his players in walking out of the game. The rest of the Laguna players—Zapata, Jun Tabora, Darag, Erlan Lansang, Nikko Buhay, and the fouled out Rodney Catalla showed sportsmanship and finished the match.

Catalla was called for his fifth and last foul late in the third, forcing Laguna to rely on Alipio, Villarin, and Tabora. Tabora scored the only two field goals for Laguna in the last four-minute meltdown and although he finished with 21 points, he had to bleed for his baskets, as Yosh Gabaldon hounded him all night. Villarin top-scored for Laguna with his 26 points despite reporting for duty beginning in the second quarter, but missed his last four attempts in the closing minutes after starting the fourth with 6 straight points, while Alipio was scoreless in the final canto.

Armatech had a balance offense with Ebuen leading the defending champion with his 22 markers. Moreno chipped in 19, Bernard Montano had 14, Gabaldon contributed 13, and Pineda added 10. Bruce Berline and Bong Malasarte combined for 15 markers.

Meanwhile, in the first semis game, Degree also lost focus in the fourth quarter, allowing Blue Haus to cruise to victory.

Degree came back from a 32-47 halftime deficit and managed to move within single digit at the end of the third, 56-65, when it made lapses in the opening minutes of the fourth, helping Blue Haus to widen the gap anew.

Blue Haus started the fourth with a triple from Edgar Pangelinan for a 68-56 lead and the advantage ballooned to 16, after the pennant champion gained four straight free throws in the ensuing plays. The charities were awarded after Degree was charged for an unsportsmanlike foul with Dindo Pablo holding Edsel Mendoza, who stole the ball and headed for a breakaway, and Ed Cosino getting a technical for contesting the call.

Degree never recovered from thereon, while Blue Haus continued to play unselfish basketball en route to the 19-point win.

Rebuyon paced Blue Haus with 18 points, while Mendoza and Pangelinan chipped in 17 apiece, and Tony Diaz had 16.

The Blue Haus-Armatech title game is set for 5pm, followed by the Open division championship match between KB Market and Hoopaholics at 7pm.

First Game
Blue Haus 97 – Rebuyon 18, Pangelinan 17, Mendoza 17, Diaz 16, Guiab 8, Santos 7, S. Fernandez 7, Palacios 4, Manabat 2, Factor 2.
D&E Degree 78 – Ocampo 16, Tobias 13, De Guzman 13, Pablo 11, Rabago 8, Jinang 7, Cosino 4, de la Torre 2, Drilon 2.
Scoring by quarters: 17-19, 47-32, 65-56, 97-78.

Second Game
Armatech 98 – Ebuen 22, Moreno 19, Montano 14, Gabaldon 13, Pineda 10, Berline 9, Malasarte 6, Park 3, Poquiz 1.
Erika’s 80 – Villarin 26, Tabora 21, Alipio 18, Catalla 10, Zapata 6, Lansang 2.
Scoring by quarters: 20-16, 42-40, 68-64, 98-80.