Tey Teodoro caught fire late as the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers pulled the rug from under the Wangs Basketball Couriers, 86-77, and clinched a quarterfinals spot, Tuesday afternoon at JCSGO Gym in Cubao, Quezon City.
The sweet-shooting guard dropped 17 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as he captained the Heavy Bombers’ 25-point finishing kick. He shot 7-of-17 from the field, 6-of-6 from the stripe, while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists in the victory.
“He had the right timing when he took charge. Sabi ko sa kanya, with the game on the line, you have to get the ball. He’s a big time player,” coach Vergel Meneses said of Teodoro.
JRU (4-4) will now advance to the quarterfinals, completing the post-season cast thanks to their 70-65 win over Batangas (3-5) earlier in the conference, while also eliminating the Batanguenos and the Couriers in the process.
Jhaps Bautista also added 15 points. Ervin Grospe had 14 markers and three boards, while John Amboludto got 10 points and nine rebounds for JRU.
The Heavy Bombers fought back from a 12-point deficit, 44-32, in the second period as they unleashed a superb second half to swing the momentum in their favor. Teodoro then completed the comeback as he fired 15 of the team’s final 15 markers.
JRU shot just 8 percent from range but did most of it damage on the inside, shooting 29-of-54. Moreover, they out-rebounded Wangs, 51-45.
Mark Montuano paced Wangs (3-6) with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Rey Publico had 19 markers and eight boards.
JRU will wrap up their eliminations round with a match against Tanduay next Tuesday, March 14, 5:00 PM, still at the JCSGO Gym
The Scores:
JRU (86) – Teodoro 21, Bautista 15, Grospe 14, Amboludto 10, Bulawan 9, Marquez 9, Poutouochi 6, Bordon 2, Astilla 0, Dela Virgen 0, Lasquety 0.
Wangs Basketball (77) – Montuano 20, Publico 19, Tambeling 11, Tayongtong 11, King 5, Enriquez 4, Montemayor 4, Lasco 2, Labing-isa 1, Brana 0, Regalado 0, Salcedo 0.
Quarterscores: 17-20, 39-48, 61-63, 86-77.
