Angelo to the rescue as Sinclair sinks Johnro in AEBA hoops

Sports

SINCLAIR was about to sink but Angelo Tanduyan saved the day, hitting a buzzer-beating jumper that lifted the team to a pulsating 81-80 win over previously unbeaten Johnro Electrical in the Architects and Engineers Basketball Association (AEBA) 9th Corporate Cup over the weekend at the University of San Carlos Downtown Campus Gym in Cebu City.

The two squads traded big basket after big basket in the endgame. When the dust settled, it was Sinclair which tasted a fourth win in six outings while Johnro slumped to its first loss after a 5-0 start.

Johnro was actually in good shape late in the game. Protecting an 80-79 lead, Johnro had a chance to create more breathing space when Jim Karl Villamor was sent to the free throw line with 9.4 seconds left.

Villamor, however, bungled the two freebies that kept the window of opportunity open for Sinclair.

Sinclair didn’t allow the chance to slip away.

After Villamor’s second missed free throw, Chester Hinagdanan collared the defensive rebound and trigerred a fastbreak play.

With the clock ticking down to its final seconds, Justine Aspacio found himself momentarily open just behind the three-point arc but had the presence of mind to flip a pass to Tanduyan, who was way closer to the basket.

Tanduyan caught the ball from the low block and in one motion took a one-handed turn-around shot over the outstretched arms of Johnro’s Jhakem Jude Alguno. The shot hit nothing but the bottom of the net just before the final buzzer sounded, sending the entire Sinclair squad into a frenzied celebration.

Hinagdanan led Sinclair with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Aspacio added 18 markers while Tanduyan and Dexsel Caadan each tallied 13 markers.

Daniel Culanag topped Johnro with 21 points while Mark Gamboa contributed 13.

In other games, Sports & Play (3-3) defeated Dextructures (2-4), 78-67; CBM Engineering (5-1) tripped EGS, 79-72; and RELLM Engineering (3-3) dumped Davies Paints (3-3), 94-71.(CCM)