Yokohama and Hokage Ballers arranged a finals showdown in the Next5Hoops Metro Manila – Central Leg Recreational Division after hard-fought victories last January 22.
It was a less bumpy road to the semifinals for Yokohama, which dominated Exile Aquinas, 70-57, in a wire-to-wire finish at Asia Pacific College in Makati.
Yokohama just pounced on every opportunity to defeat Exile Aquinas, getting a 48-26 advantage inside the paint and registering 19 assists compared to the opponents’ five.
Three players shared the scoring duties with Pong Olayres finishing with 18, JR Mendoza with 16, and Dan Geraldo with 15. They also combined for 19 rebounds.
Hokage Ballers, meanwhile, fended off a last-ditch rally from KPATS South for the 80-71 victory that sealed a finals berth.
Though Hokage Ballers managed to pull away with a big lead in the second period, KPATS went down swinging in the payoff period.
Up by 21 at the start of the fourth, Hokage Ballers saw its lead cut down to single digits with under two minutes remaining.
Joe Burata once again topscored for Hokage Ballers with 18 points along with four rebounds and five dimes. Prince Martin added 15 points and seven boards.
The same guys are expected to lead the charge for their respective teams in the knockout Finals match scheduled on February 4 at the PNP Gym in Camp Crame.
The last time these two teams met in the eliminations last year, Yokohama came out on top, 79-67, thanks to a solid group effort.
Yokohama will once again bank on the services of Olayres and Mendoza along with Ryan Goroza to take home the championship.
Burata, which exploded for 26 points in their first clash, will also remain the main source of offense for Hokage Ballers.
