Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
ABSAR SALIH was the hero as he made the game-winning shot to lift D'Barkadz to the Low San Basketball Tournament title on Saturday.
His close range basket with 5.6 seconds left proved to be the difference as they edged Wan Sing 78-76 in an intense final at the BBA Court in Batu Bersurat.
Absar finished the game with a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Jomarie Corpuz topscored for D'Barkadz with 22 points and 10 boards but he struggled heavily from three-point territory making only one of 14 attempts.
Ryan Garcia was the other in double figures with 13 points in the victory.
On the other hand, birthday boy Joven Dungog poured in a game-high of 27 points for Wan Sing despite suffering an ankle injury in the opening possession.
Kenny Lim dropped 18 points - all coming in the first half before he picked up a leg injury just before halftime and didn't return.
The pair of Venilson Lico and Yuri Sanchez chipped in 10 each to a losing effort.
D'Barkadz had carried a 63-55 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Absar scored off an offensive rebound to start the stanza to give D'Barkadz their largest lead of the match at 11.
Dungog then made a six-point turn the next possession.
The 21-year-old scored a layup and then stole the ball on the inbounds.
He was fouled and only knocked down the first from the line.
Sanchez grabbed the offensive board leading to a Dungog trey.
The latter then made a steal leading to a step back jumper in transition to trim the deficit to 66-63.
D'Barkadz were healthy with the fouls for three periods but were already in the penalty with over five minutes left.
Absar picked up a cramp midway through and had to be subbed out.
A Gabriel Co shot from under the basket put D'Barkadz up 72-65 with 4:34 left leading to a Wan Sing timeout.
An unsportsmanlike foul was whistled at midcourt sending Dungog to the line.
He split the charities and with ball possession, knocked down a trey to make it a one point game.
It was deadlocked at 72-72 after Matt Jerickson split his freethrows with 2:37 on the clock.
Corpuz converted a layup with over a minute left and Dungog hit one of two from the line again.
Corpuz turned the ball over the next possession and Dungog this time hit both to put Wan Sing in front.
Garcia then scored a crucial layup to see them exchange leads.
At the other end, Sanchez missed his shot but battled for the rebound and threw the ball off Absar.
Jerickson was fouled going for a reverse layup off the inbounds with 35 seconds left.
He missed the first before sinking the second to tie the game at 76-76.
Garcia drove to the rim with a spin move but his layup went in and out.
Corpuz got the offensive board but his shot attempt was blocked by Jake Ten only for the ball to fall into the hands of Absar for the winner.
Wan Sing had a chance to go for the win as Dungog got his three off but missed the mark.
Meanwhile, Anta Brunei clinched third place after beating Autocare 68-59.
