Its homecourt advantage and perfect record under threat, Binañ turned to its old reliable KG Canaleta, who delivered the crucial baskets needed to keep Tatak Gel spotless following a tough 66-63 win over the equally formidable Quezon Titans in the PSL President’s Cup just recently at the Alonte Sports Complex.
A multiple-time slam dunk champion and former star in the Philippine Basketball Association, Canaleta responded to the challenge as he scored seven crucial points in the last seven minutes as he along with young star Kenney Rogers Rocacurva and former PBA Most Valuable Player Jayjay Helterbrand put on the finishing touches, allowing Binañ to overcome a 51-59 deficit in the fourth quarter.
Local folks were put on the edge of their seats when the visiting Titans sent the home team reeling on the ropes as the erstwhile unbeaten Quezon squad was poised to deliver the knockout blow.
Quezon, composed of young stars who were just starting their respective careers playing in the professional ranks, was led by Val Chauca, a point guard who previously saw action for Blackwater in the PBA, Jeric Teng, Jason Opiso and Thomas Torres among others.
But when push came to shove, Tatak Gel had Canaleta, Rocacurva and Helterbrand to rely on.
Rocacurva’s strong drive to the basket put Binañ up, 62-59, entering the final two-minute mark of the match, then a series of unproductive thrusts happened in the next plays.
Quezon threatened anew scored inside, 61-62, with still 58 seconds to go and coach Boyet Fernandez was forced to call a time out.
The Tatak Gel went to Canaleta, who was isolated on top and popped in one from top of the key as his basket put the team on safer grounds.
A big stop in the next play allowed Binañ an opportunity to increase the lead to a two-possession game and Helterbrand, the veteran guard who made his mark playing for Barangay Ginebra, calmly sank both charity shots.
Quezon responded with a quick basket courtesy of Chauca and gambled by fouling on Pamboy Raymundo to send him to the foul line.
The gamble paid off as Raymundo missed both shots and Quezon rushed to the other end with Robin Roño taking the last heave, but couldn’t sink in a potential game-tying triple as the final buzzer sounded to the delight of the local folks.
For the boys of Tatak Gel, it was more of a sigh of relief as the team preserved its perfect record.
Binañ has just scored its 10th straight win, just half a game behind Nueva Ecija’s 11-0 card.
Canaleta scored 20 points, including four three-point shots, but he admitted that there was a mixture of pressure and excitement on the squad playing their first home game.
“We’re all excited for our first home game,” said Canaleta. “Pero mas nag-focused kami sa depensa sa second half kaya kami nakabalik.”
