San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija — Jason Ballesteros coolly canned two pressure-packed free throws with 0.7 ticks left which lifted Koponang Lakan ng Bulacan to a nail-biting 67-65 squeaker over Sta. Rosa Laguna for its first win in the Pilipinas Super League Pro Division Second Conference Dumper Cup, Wednesday at the Nagano Gym here.
The veteran center’s heroics came after a foul on Lions guard Dan Sara and capped Bulacan’s vicious 10-0 finishing kick that erased a 57-65 deficit in the final 2:27.
Mark Pangilinan led Bulacan with 14 points and three rebounds, while Ballesteros added a double-double of 10 markers and 12 boards.
Bulacan’s stunning win atoned for a 62-79 loss to Nueva Ecija last Nov. 28.
Sta. Rosa absorbed its first defeat in the meet presented by Dumper party-list, Winzir, SCD Cosmetics, and Converge and supported by Wcube Solutions Inc., MDC, Unisol, Don Benitos, and Finn Cotton after notching two straight triumphs, counting a 102-86 shellacking of the Slashers eight days ago and dropped to 2-1.
In the other game, Batang Kankaloo-Caloocan waylaid the ARS Warriors 90-76 for its third straight win.
Former PBA big man Gabby Espinas wound up with 21 points and 10 caroms for the Koolers, while John Tayongtong chipped in 14 markers, four rebounds, and four assists.
Reil Cervantes also had 13 and four as Caloocan scored a fitting follow-up to a 111-96 drubbing of Boracay last Dec. 1 and hiked its mark to 3-1.
The ARS Warriors came off a 92-87 decision over Cagayan de Oro-PSP last Saturday for a 1-1 slate.
Enzo Joson paced the Lions with 12 points and two rebounds, while Nat Cosejo had 10 markers and seven boards.
VJ Serios scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the ARS Warriors, while Ian Melecio and Ken Miranda got 12 and 11, respectively.