Aspac beats Bhinneka to lead finals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Defending champion Aspac Texmaco of Jakarta took
\nthe lead in the best-of-three final of the Kobatama basketball
\nleague on Saturday, with an 87-72 defeat of Bhinneka Sritex of
\nSurakarta, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Aspac's 2.04m tall center Cokorda Satria Wibawa was named the
\nMVP of the game after scoring 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds
\nand dishing out three assists. For the honor, he received Rp
\n500,000 (US$44) from sponsor Kratingdaeng energy drink.<\/p>\n
Wiwin, Cokorda's nickname, was ably assisted by teammate Riko
\nHantono, who led his team in scoring with 16 points to go along
\nwith his eight rebounds and three assists. But Riko committed
\nseven turnovers, which explains why he was passed over for the
\nMVP honors.<\/p>\n
Bhinneka faced a hostile crowd on Saturday as it began its
\nquest for the championship. This is Bhinneka's third trip to the
\nfinal since joining Kobatama in 1997. The team was absent from
\nthe league in 2000 because of a suspension.<\/p>\n
Home favorite Aspac received a boost from about 2,000
\nsupporters, who packed the basketball hall at the Bung Karno
\nsports complex.<\/p>\n
Bhinneka guard I Made \"Lolik\" Sudiadnyana, the backbone of the
\nteam, was closely guarded by Aspac players throughout the game,
\nthought that did not stop him from scoring 39 points, hauling
\ndown 12 rebounds and handing out three assists.<\/p>\n
Aspac got off to a roaring start in the first quarter,
\nbuilding a 27-17 lead by the time the horn blew on the quarter.<\/p>\n
Aspac coach Tjetjep Firmansyah then called on forwards Tri
\nAdnyana Adiloka and Suko Daryono to bring some defensive
\nintensity to the game.<\/p>\n
The strategy worked as Aspac widened the gap to 50-34 at the
\nend of the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Bhinneka's players turned the ball over frequently in the
\nthird quarter as Aspac moved its players out of the key and onto
\nthe wings.<\/p>\n
Despite the turnovers, Bhinneka was able to break through
\nAspac's solid defense and cut the lead to 66-59.<\/p>\n
Lolik scored 10 points for Bhinneka in the quarter, small
\nforward Sandy Salomo added nine points, guard Sujudi contributed
\ntwo points and veteran center Lie Tjui Tek had four points,
\nthough none of these points came on three-point baskets.<\/p>\n
In the final quarter, Bhinneka could only manage to put up 13
\npoints while allowing Aspac to score 21.<\/p>\n
Bhinneka assistant coach Armyn Johan said his players got off
\nto a poor start in the game.<\/p>\n
\"They played beneath their capabilities. If they could have
\ntaken the lead in the first quarter, they would not have had any
\nproblems in the remaining quarters. They failed to execute many
\nthree-pointers, and Aspac played with self-confidence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said this loss would not dishearten his team. \"We will
\nplay our best tomorrow.\"<\/p>\n
Bhinneka assistant manager Tommy Lianggono said the players
\nwere caught off guard by Aspac's strategy, but the surprise was
\nover now. \"We are sure we will win because now we know how Aspac
\nplays.\"<\/p>\n
Aspac manager Irawan Haryono was optimistic his team would end
\nthe final on Sunday. \"If we win tomorrow, it will be our fourth
\ntitle.\" (ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aspac-beats-bhinneka-to-lead-finals-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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