Niños seek Liga Pilipinas title via unprecedented sweep
11/29/2009 | 12:19 PM
The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Cebu Niños are one win away from completing an immaculate mark never before seen in the short history of Liga Pilipinas.
But the Niños had to do it the hard way as they had to stage a second half surge to crush the Smart Pampanga Buddies, 80-62, Friday night in the league's Conference III Super Leg action at the Cebu City Coliseum.
Trailing by 12 points early in the second quarter and 10 in the early moments of the third, the Niños hiked their defensive mentality while guard Stephen Padilla shrugged off his shooting woes to finish the elimination round with perfect 4-0 record.
Despite a 4-of-14 shooting, Padilla managed to score 11 of his 13 points in the second half to lead the Niños while Ian Saladaga and Marlon Basco contributed 11 points each for the squad of coach Yayoy Alcoseba.
Cebu won its 20th consecutive game overall and could finish the conference with an incredible 21-0 record if they could win Sunday night’s one-game championship against either the defending champion Misamis Oriental Meteors or the Quezon Red Oilers.
The Niños surpassed the record of 19 straight wins set by the legendary Crispa Redmanizers during the 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference, landing into second in the list of longest winning streaks in any professional, commercial or regional leagues held in the country.
Only the Manila Metrostars of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association had the most number of consecutive victories of any team with 22 straight set during the 1999 season.
Both teams went on to win the championship of their respective leagues. The Niños are hoping to replicate those feats.
Fil-American guard Allan Husted topscored for the Buddies with 12 points but accounted for three of the team's 20 turnovers, most of which came in the first half. - GMANews.TV
But the Niños had to do it the hard way as they had to stage a second half surge to crush the Smart Pampanga Buddies, 80-62, Friday night in the league's Conference III Super Leg action at the Cebu City Coliseum.
Despite a 4-of-14 shooting, Padilla managed to score 11 of his 13 points in the second half to lead the Niños while Ian Saladaga and Marlon Basco contributed 11 points each for the squad of coach Yayoy Alcoseba.
Cebu won its 20th consecutive game overall and could finish the conference with an incredible 21-0 record if they could win Sunday night’s one-game championship against either the defending champion Misamis Oriental Meteors or the Quezon Red Oilers.
The Niños surpassed the record of 19 straight wins set by the legendary Crispa Redmanizers during the 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference, landing into second in the list of longest winning streaks in any professional, commercial or regional leagues held in the country.
Only the Manila Metrostars of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association had the most number of consecutive victories of any team with 22 straight set during the 1999 season.
Both teams went on to win the championship of their respective leagues. The Niños are hoping to replicate those feats.
Fil-American guard Allan Husted topscored for the Buddies with 12 points but accounted for three of the team's 20 turnovers, most of which came in the first half. - GMANews.TV
