Richmond Oilers gave Team Bumblebees their first defeat in the APCRAA Basketball Tournament Season Six Men’s Division elimination round 99 to 97 on Saturday, July 2 at the APC Gymnasium.
Jerl Ferrer had a solid performance for Richmond Oilers with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists. Team captain JP Bayog led all scorers with 30 points with 5 assists.
Brix Estabillo had another double-double performance for Team Bumblebees with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assits. Joemark Belardo contributed 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, inching closer to become the 10th member of the 500 points club.
The Oilers took control of the first half, leading by as much as 14 points in the second quarter. Team Bumblebees were able to trim down the lead to three in the third quarter. Things got heated up with under a minute remaining when Arie Altre was called with a technical foul for throwing his shoulder to JP Bayog after missing his layup. Altre was then called for a second technical foul for taunting and was ejected out of the playing court. CJ Pring was also slapped with a technical foul for continuous complaining.
Despite the setback, Team Bumblebees kept the game within arms reach and even got the lead in the final quarter. It became a see-saw battle in the final minutes of the game. The deadlock was broken after JP Bayog and JP Masa scored to push the Oilers lead to four with 35 seconds remaining in the game.
Team Bumblebees finished the eliminations with a 3-1 record in Group A and have secured their spot in the quarterfinals. The Oilers will be playing their final elimination round game on July 16 as they face Team Titans.
THE SCORES:
BUMBLEBEES (97): Estabillo 24, Belardo 18, Gloria 14, Altre 13, De Luna 11, Galido 8, Muceros 4, Reyes 3, Salvador 2, Pring 0, Mustapha 0, Amada 0, Grepo 0
RICHMOND OILERS (99): Bayog 30, Ferrer 19, Masa 14, Conta 12, Chandnani 10, Sombilon 5, Antabo 4, Magpantay J 3, Cerdeña 2
QUARTERSCORES: 22-30, 45-54, 73-76, 97-99
FIBA LiveStats: https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/APC/2098213/