Global Payments pulled off the biggest upset in the thrilling 2016 BPO Classics Competitive Division Semifinals, knocking out top-seeded Wells Fargo, 86-69, to enter the title round last Sunday.
No. 3 Teleperformance, meanwhile, also pulled the rug from under no. 2 The Results Companies, 78-76, to set up a clash with Global Payments for the coveted crown.
The one-off final is on Sunday at 12nn with the venue yet to be announced.
The boys from Global Payments banked on a strong 24-11 start to frustrate Wells Fargo, which finished with a 5-1 record in the elimination round but could not handle the offensive onslaught from league’s top scorers.
Jonty Cruz was unstoppable anew for the Global Payments with 38 points including five triples which went along with five rebounds and five assists while Vic Brentzer Cardenas chipped in a double-double of 18 points and 16 boards.
Global Payments jumped the gun early and never trailed, pushing the lead to as many as 19 points several times in the payoff period.
Regie Garcia led Wells Fargo in a losing effort with 18 points while Paras Kumar Shah added 10 markers.
Teleperformance, meanwhile, pounced on Results Companies’ miscues and controlled the pace of the game en route to the thrilling finish.
An 18-8 disparity in points off turnovers despite just a difference of two TOs between the two teams spelled a difference in the game which went back and fort until Teleperformance took over for good early in the third.
A triple from Irvin Gomez with 7:11 left in the penultimate quarter gave Teleperformance a 41-40 edge which the team would not relinquish, despite never leading by double digits.
Teleperformance also had a huge advantage off the glass, 61-49, which it used to its advantage.
Mario Maglinao paced Teleperformance with 19 points, seven rebounds while Joseph Nicolai Gabriel and Allan Violeta contributed 17 and 11 points, respectively.
Results Companies, which tasted the lead early but never got the chance the pull away, got a game-best 25 points and seven rebounds from Chris Catamora in its last game of the conference.
A last ditch rally in the final minute brought Results Companies back to life momentarily, but after Catamora’s two-pointer with 11 ticks remaining was the last it could muster.
