Oguchi delivers in OT as Bolts hand Gilas 2nd loss

source: gma

Champ Oguchi finished in overtime what he failed to complete in regulation period, lifting Meralco to a 91-87 win over Pilipinas-Smart Gilas in PBA Commissioner's Cup road game on Saturday night at the Tacloban Astrodome in Tacloban City.



The hot-shooting import scored 10 of Meralco's 11 points in the extra period as the Bolts finished their campaign with a 3-6 card, missing the playoffs after a quarterfinal stint in the Philippine Cup.

Oguchi finished with 21 points and also grabbed eight rebounds.

He sizzled in the overtime period when he drained two three-pointers, including the go-ahead basket in the final 60 seconds of the match to shove the Bolts to an 89-87 lead.

His breakaway dunk, off a Chris Ross fastbreak assist, secured the win for Meralco (91-87) with 11 seconds left.

Gilas suffered only its second loss in nine outings, but is now in danger of sliding down at the No. 2 seeding in the semifinals should Talk 'N Text (7-1) defeated Ginebra on Sunday.

A Gabby Espinas basket gave Meralco an 80-74 advantage with four minutes to go in regulation.

But Gilas scored the final six points in the regulation to send the game into a five-minute extension, 80-80.

The Bolts had a chance to win the game outright, but Champ Oguchi missed a long three-point attempt in the final two seconds.

Meralco enjoyed its biggest lead at 55-49 midway in the third, with Oguchi nailing a three-pointer and Espinas adding a jumper.

The Bolts trailed early in the match, as Japeth Aguilar and Marcio Lassiter pushed Gilas to an early 11-2 lead prompting Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio to call a time out.

JV Casio and Lassiter stretched Gilas' lead further at 27-12, with 62 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Meralco - behind Reynel Hugnatan, Sol Mercado and Mark Isip - then answered with a 13-0 run in the opening minutes of the second period to move within two (27-25).

The score was tied at the half, 42-42.

source: gma