Game  today: (Aquinas  gym)

6:45 p.m. -- UST-Ironcon vs. Hobe Bihon


DON’T count  Wang’s Ballclub out  yet.

Former PBA player  Biboy  Simon   scored  20 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as Wang’s  Ballclub brought  down Foscon  Ship Management, 95-90,  to force a sudden death match for a   finals berth in  the 2011 MBL Open  basketball championship at the  RTU gym in Mandaluyong City.

Simon, who once   played  for FedEx/Air21 in the   PBA,  routed all   Foscon  guards  thrown against him and  finished with 11 three-point shots to power the Pablo Lucas-mentored Wang’s Ballclub to a dramatic, come-from-behind victory. in this eight-team  tournament  supported  by Smart Sports, PRC Couriers,  Dickies Underwear, Big   Banners Tarpaulin  Printing and  WG Diners.

Simon’s game-long heroics  enabled Wang’s  to  erase  an eight-point deficit  with  five minutes left and  turn the game around   in   favor  of  the  Mandaluyong-based team.

Fil-Am Mark  Anthony Cuevas  added 16 points and 14 rebounds,  followed by Edrick Ferrer with 12  and  Richard Litonjua  with 10.

Former  Talk N Text mainstay Orly  Daroya topscored with 21 points for Foscon, which  clinched the top seed in the elimination   round with a 6-1 win-loss record.

Luis Palaganas  and  Jeff Tajonera  added 15 and 12 points, repsectively,  for  Foscon, which is hoping to imporve its runner-up finish last year under coach Ricky Alcantara.

But  Foscon's  leading men,  Nino Marquez and Erwin Sta Maria, were  limited to only  single-digit scores by Wang’s tight defense.

The other semis match will pit No. 2 University of Sato Tomas-Ironcon  Builders against No. 3  Hobe Bihon.

The Tigers of coach Pido Jarencio and manager Jimi Lim also  enjoy a twice-to-beat advanatage over  Hobe.


The scores:

Wang's Ballclub (95) -- Simon 37, Cuevas 16, Ferrer 12, R.Litonjua 10, Manthe 8, Reyes 6, Lingao-Lingao 3, D.Litonjua 3, Araman 0.

Foscon (90) -- Daroya 21, Palaganas 15, Tajonera 12, Sta Maria 9, Marquez 8, Viscarra 8, Martinez 5, Gonzalgo 4, Villaflor 2, Castro 2, Agacer 2, Calimpong 2, Chamberlin 0, Clemente 0.

Quarterscores:  14-19, 37-40, 61-67, 95-90.