Drawing big games from Jett Latonio and Marvin Cruz in the payoff period, the Snackmasters outsteadied the Elasto Painters in an exciting shootout in the final five minutes to emerge 77-71 winners in the 2006 PBL Heroes Cup at the JCSGO gym in Cubao.
After a slow and sluggish start, Latonio scattered 9 of his team-high 15 points, while Cruz held his ground against a pair of Rain or Shine’s veterans to score all his eight points in the final period that gave Granny Goose the needed push to beat the Elasto Painters.
Far Eastern Insurance completed the day of upsets by downing erstwhile unbeaten Magnolia Dairy Ice Cream, 65-60, in the second game behind another splendid performance from Niño Marquez and red-hot shooting of Boyet Guerrero.
Guerrero topscored for the Insurers with 11 points, including back-to-back triples midway in the final period to snap a five-game winning run of the Wizards.
With the win, the Insurers, who also beat the Snackmasters in Cavite three weeks back, forged a three-way tie for 6th to eight places with Harbour Centre and Toyota Otis at 2-4.
"We played bad defense in third quarter but we tightened it up in the fourth to beat Rain or Shine," said Lipa of his third win in four games for the Granny Goose.
In all, it was Granny Goose’s fourth victory to grab solo second at 4-2 while the loss dropped Rain or Shine to 3-3.
Quinahan, who normed close to 13 points a game, did not see action due to a torn ligament but his absence hardly mattered as the Snackmasters played with great resolve throughout the game.
A bristling 6-0 run, four of them coming from Latonio, broke a 54-54 count and gave Granny Goose a 60-54 lead which proved big enough to survive Rain or Shine’s last ditch comeback.
After Rain or Shine managed to close in at 68-71, Cruz played the fireman’s role by coming up with a tough turn around drive to finally take the sting out of the Elasto Painters.
With Abby Santos leading a well-balanced attack in the first half, the Snackmasters posted their biggest lead at 31-19 on a backbreaking 17-4 run.
But Rain or Shine methodically cut Granny Goose’s lead until they momentarily grabbed the lead, 49-45, behind the guns of Jojo Tangkay and Gilbert Malabanan.
