BATANGAS held Binan without a field goal for over six minutes in the fourth quarter and prevailed, 70-62, on Friday to force a Game Three decider in their MPBL Seventh Season South Division semifinal series at the Batangas Province Events Center.
As Binan's guns misfired, the Rum Masters bunched eight points to pull away for good, 60-50, with 3 minutes and 52 seconds remaning and avenged their 67-72 defeat to the Lagunenses in Game One.
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Carlo Lastimosa countered with four points for Binan, but Batangas sealed the outcome, 70-62, behind a 7-3 run, capped by a Jong Baloria jumper with 1:42 minutes left.
The do-or-die Game 3 will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in the same venue. The winner will tackle top seed Quezon Province in a best-of-five series for the South Division crown.
Baloria posted 13 points and 4 assists, followed by Jeckster Apinan with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, Levi Hernandez with 10 points and 5 rebounds, Dawn Ochea with 9 points, all in the third quarter, Ced Ablaza with 9 points, and John Ambuldoto with 8 points, all in the fourth quarter.
Binan drew 14 points and 4 rebounds from Lastimosa, 11 points and 4 rebounds from Marc Pingris, and 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals from Kenny Roger Rocacurva.
Batangas rallied from a 17-26 deficit to take the half, 29-27, on a drive by Josh Torralba. Ced Ablaza drilled in a triple that leveled the count at 27.
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