Eric Camson made two tie-breaking free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining in overtime as Freego Jeans beat Cebuana Lhuillier, 69-67 to advance to the finals of the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup yesterday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. 

The Jeans Makers  will meet the winner of the other semifinal match between NLEX and Big Chill, which went to a deciding Game 3 after the Road Warriors beat the Super Chargers, 69-63 earlier in the afternoon.

The Road Warriors lost a 24-point third quarter advantage but kept their poise in the stretch to survive a second half surge by the Super Chargers, 69-62, to force a deciding Game Three on Tuesday.

“This is a big achievement for us already. We also have the luxury of rest while waiting for our opponent in the finals,” said Freego Jeans coach Leo Austria afterward.

Alex Nuyles scored 18 points, Lester Alvarez had 14 and Janus Lozada chipped in 11 for the Jean Makers, who had a 59-51 lead midway in the fourth quarter but couldn’t win the game in regulation because they missed a lot of easy shots and threw away crucial possession in the stretch.

“We could have won it right there. But we made crucial lapses. Good thing the guys didn’t give up. And that’s what mattered in the end,” Austria said.


The scores:


First Game

NLEX 69 – Sanggalang 21, Garcia 15, Hodge 11, Lanete 10, Ellis 4, Hermida 2, Arao 2, Monfort 2, Marcelo 1, Co 1.

Big Chill 62 – Ponferada 14, Jensen 12, Malalri 11, Reyes 8, Collado 7, custodio 5, Maconocido 3, Dizxon 2, Santos 0, Glorioso 0, Tan 0.

Quarters: 21-9; 4`1-20; 53-43; 69-62


Second Game

Freego Jeans 69 – Nuyles 18, Alvarez 14, Lozada 11, CAmson 8, Austria 7, Brondial 7, Manyara 2, Apinan 2, Sumalinog 0, Cabrera 0, Lopez 0.

Cebuana Lhuillier 67 – Manuel 20, Llagas 18, Romeo 9, Celeda 5, Taha 5, Alas 4, Hayes 3, Reyes 3, Eximiniano 0.

Quarters: 19-13; 34-32; 47-46; 61-61; 69-67