Team Knights was the first to enter the APCRAA Basketball Tournament (ABT) 2018 season championship round after defeating Team OGs in their semifinals showdown, 85-77, on Saturday, September 22 at the Asia Pacific College Gymnasium.
The Knights, after winning their elimination round game with the same team last September 8 to be the number 2 seed entering the playoffs, only needed to win once to enter the Finals.
They are also the first expansion team to advance into the Finals in their maiden season.
Mark Rivera achieved a double-double game by finishing 21 points and 19 rebounds. Alex Tagle also had a good game,with 22 points and 7 rebounds.
Jon Batuhan of Team OGs became their top scorer, with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals. JP Redelick is not far behind with 22 points, and 4 rebounds.
Team OGs took control most of the first half, leading by as much as 9 points in the 2nd quarter. However, Team Knights unleashed a scoring run to gain the lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, it became a see-saw battle as both teams have a fair share of the lead throughout the quarter. It was on the fourth period that Knights pulled away, as missed shots and turnovers plagued Team OGs.
The best-of-three championship series will begin at October 6. Team Knights will face the winner of the 2K15-Bumblebees semifinals series on September 29.
THE SCORES (FIBA LiveStats):
KNIGHTS (85): Tagle 22, Rivera 21, De Luna 16, Tragico 9, Cerrado 6, Ysulan 5, Hermo Jp 3, Flores 3, Dizon 0
OGs (77): Batuhan 23, Redelick 22, Paraiso 17, Timbre 7, Rivera 5, Datukon 2, Go 1, Esguerra 0, Agito 0, Dayo 0, Pitallar 0
QUARTERSCORES: 16-18, 32-31, 55-53, 85-77