Pre-finals meeting, yes. But different results this time.

League leader Western Union kept its composure in the final seconds of the game as they went on to beat defending champion FR Spoilers, 96-95 in front of a sell out crowd, Sunday in the  Filipino Basketball League (FBL) at the Palau National gym.

With 3.3 second left in the game and Western Union trailing 94-95, Anon Cajegas went to inbound the ball and made a pass to Ewrin Senadre who then faked a drive in the baseline. Senadre then found a wide open Bong Alambra inside the paint who then took a short jumper for the win.

Spoilers’ Leo Sebastian tried in desperation to get a shot but time expired that pave way for Western Union to secure the win and keep their clean record which now sports at 7-0 win-loss record.

It was a heart stopping match as Western Union dictated the tempo in the early goings of the game. Western Union opened the game with a 10-4 run and would close the opening quarter with a 27-21 lead.

Later Western Union outscored the Spoilers in the second with a 25-24 output that gave them a 52-45 advantage at the end of the first half. But the Spoilers would not easily go down without a fight as they climbed their way and tied the game at 72-all at the end of third.

The Spoilers would then spurt a 10-5 run the fourth as they erected an 82-76 lead with 6:42 in the game. But the Spoilers seemed short of steam in the final canto as Western Union stood their ground to take the win.

Dennis Castro led the charge for Western Union with 27 points while teammates Al Obrero and Cajegas chipped in 24 and 20, respectively. Alambra, who scored the winning basket, normed eight points but put on a defensive stop as he enforced defense inside the paint.

On the other hand, Coco Gonzales topbilled for the Spoilers with 32 markers while teammate Michael Bombita, Sebastian and Francis Tan hauled 23, 18 and 11, in that order. The loss was the second for the Spoilers as they are 5-2 in the team standings.

In other games, the Ilocandia Bulls beat the Liquid Skyy Dragons, 122-105; Hanpa Cardinals defeated PECI Spartans, 79-68; and Surangel Kings won over PNQ Rams, 20-0.

Games will resume on February 9 with Aloha Maid Choppers versus Western Union at 11 a.m. followed by the PECI Spartans-FR Spoilers tussle at 12:30 p.m. as Royal Cargo Rangers will test Hanpa Cardinals at 2 p.m. while Rams will meet the Jaguars in the main game at 3:30 p.m.

Sponsors for this year’s season are Aqua Pure Water, ATT Karaoke and Bar, Blue Bay Petroleum, CTSI Palau, Hanpa Industrial Development Corporation, HBO, Kumangai Bakery, Midtown Gas Station, Mingles Tototo, MJ Trading, Palasia Hotel, Palau Pacific Resort, Palau Trading, Pinoy Express Remittance, Shimbros International, Surangel and Sons, The Taj Palau, Palau Curtain, Engr. Bobby Pineda and Western Caroline Trading Company (WCTC).

The Filipino Basketball League (FBL) is under the supervision of the Palau Basketball Federation (PBF).  By Peter Erick L. Magbanua (Island Times News)