Aspac and Hadtex clinch Kobatama repeat final
Aspac and Hadtex clinch Kobatama repeat final
JAKARTA (JP): Defending champion Hadtex of Bandung and Aspac
of Jakarta displayed different styles on their way to their final
rematch in the Kobatama national basketball league championship
yesterday.
While Aspac had no troubles sweeping BS Nikko Steel of Malang,
East Java 101-81, Hadtex had to flex its muscles before nailing
Pelita Jaya with an upset 88-83 during a tense game.
Hadtex defied the odds to surprise Aspac in last year's grand
final. The Bandung side also took on a favored team in
yesterday's do-or-die battle.
"We took the advantage of being the underdogs. It proved to
give us the second wind we needed to retain our title," Hadtex
manager Suwandi Bing Andi said after the thrilling game. "Playing
without any mental pressure is the key to our success."
Pelita, orchestrated by its new signings, Anthony Jones and
Claude Moore, focused on closely marking Hadtex's play-maker Ray
Kelly. The strategy paid off, but Pelita wasted too much energy
on the injured Kelly.
Richard Lee Cannon led Hadtex's up-front charge in place of
Kelly, pouring in a game-high 41 points until he was fouled out
two minutes before the final whistle. Kelly added 27 to put the
issue beyond the doubt.
Trailing 46-50 in the first half, Pelita players regained
their momentum in the first five minutes after the break, pulling
ahead to a 60-55 lead thanks to a series of brilliant attempts by
their sharp shooters Ocky Tamtelahitu and Apriyadi.
The Jakartans, however, missed numerous scoring attempts,
leaving the high-spirited Bandung players to fight back with
their stylish fast breaks. Cannon, who was left unmarked, led the
goal spree to move up 72-60.
Hadtex never let Pelita come close, continuing its relentless
assault to soar to its highest margin of 82-73. With just one
minute left, Apriyadi's three-pointer helped Pelita reduce the
gap to 87-83. The forward, however, missed two decisive free
throws in the dying seconds, allowing Saut Lombok Jhonson to seal
Pelita's fate with a well-aimed final free throw.
"We were unlucky. Hadtex was not at its best, but we conceded
too many mistakes," Pelita manager Toto Sudarsono said.
In the earlier game, Bobby Parks led Aspac's scoring with 34
points. Mohammad Rifky added 25. Aspac withdrew all its starters
in the final five minutes after taking a commanding 101-74 lead.
(amd)