ABL: Slingers shot down in double overtime by Patriots

Avenido kept his hot hand, sinking a 3-pointer to jump start the Slingers in overtime but the Patriots bench strength and experience came into play.

While Slinger Steven Khoo missed open 3-point and 2-point attempts, the Patriots, now fielding an all-Filipino lineup, saw Cabatu and Joseph Salangsang contribute four points each in overtime. The Patriots led by at 75-71 but yet again, the Slingers dug themselves out of a hole when Skinner sank a basket to make it 74-75 and drew the foul. He calmly sank his free throw and the game went into a second overtime.

With 2:34 to go in the second overtime, Jeffers, with 26 rebounds, fouled out and the Slingers were now deprived of their best rebounder. It was also now the turn of Slinger Desmond Oh to miss. Desmond saw both his 3-point and 2-point attempts come to nothing while Ernesto Billiones, in contrast, contributed with three 2-point baskets to drag his team to an 82-80 lead.

Skinner tied it up 82-82 but Harold Sta Cruz restored a two-point lead for the Patriots. Then came a bad error for the Slingers when Al Vergara was called for travelling while trying to start the next Slinger attack with only seconds left on the clock.

Forced to foul, Desmond Oh sent Billiones to the line but even though both free throws were missed, it was Cabatu who came up with the important offensive rebound. Billiones was again sent to the free throw line and this time he sank one of two to make it 85-82.

Avenido then drew a foul but only managed one of two free throws for the Slingers to trail by two (83-85). However, the Slingers were out of time and the Patriots wrapped it up with Billiones going to the free throw line again for two successful shots before Pathman a consolation basket for the final score to read 87-85 in favour of the Patriots.

“I am disappointed about the result towards the end,” said Slingers head coach Neo Beng Siang. “When we came out from the second half, we lacked on our defense and we gave them an opportunity to fight back. This really hurt us in the second half.”

“We knew it was going to be hard,” said Patriots head coach Alas. “Playing against two giant imports is not an easy task and I just told my players before the game to play doubly hard. We are just very happy to have won today because this is our first win here (in Singapore) in three tries. It’s very sweet.”

The Slingers drop to a 4-4 win-loss record while the Patriots are now 6-1. The Slingers next play the Barracudas at home on Tuesday, November 23rd, while the Patriots will entertain the Thailand Slammers on Saturday, November 20th.

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