LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Latter Day Saints got a crucial win in their final game of the tournament to finish at an even 6-6 win-loss record and complete the top eight quarterfinalists of the fifth season of the Laity Cup.
The Saints completed an 80-71 demolition of the Immaculate Conception of Taba-ao, Kapangan to grab the seventh seed and the right to face the Caliking Atok Youth Group while eliminating their rivals from the playoffs.
It was the tail-end of heartbreaking losses for Immaculate Conception. They were in great position to grab a playoff slot as they were at 5-1 halfway in their tournament but lost in succession to McDonalds, LTBIBC, Assembly of God, Holy Knights, Sacred Heart, and the Saints. The last three in particular are their direct rivals for the playoff slot and would have been in had they got even just one of them. All their last three opponents got into the playoffs.
The Saints win also resolved scenarios that other teams are waiting while being idle.
As a result of the Saints win, they tied the Don Bosco Boys and the Holy Knights for 5th to 7th place. In applying the win over the other rule to break the tie, the Bosco Boys gets 5th place by virtue of their 2-0 record among their matches. The Holy Knights get 6th place for its 1-1 card.
In the meantime, the win also towed idle Sacred Heart in the playoffs as they have the superior record amongst the three teams tied for 8th to 10th place.
Sacred Heart previously downed McDonalds and Immaculate Conception, the other teams with a 5-7 record, to earn the spot. McDonalds defeated Immaculate Conception to place 9th.
| FIBA rule D applied to break the tie (head to head applied first before goal differential) | |||||
| Win-Loss Records | Goal differential | ||||
| Don Bosco Boys | Holy Knights | Latter Day Saints | Rank | ||
| Don Bosco Boys | 2-0 | +10 | +10 | 5th | |
| Holy Knights | 1-1 | -10 | +27 | 6th | |
| Latter Day Saints | 0-2 | -27 | -10 | 7th | |
| FIBA rule D applied to break the tie (head to head applied first before goal differential) | |||||
| Win-Loss Records | Goal differential | ||||
| Sacred Heart | McDonalds | Immaculate Conception | Rank | ||
| Sacred Heart | 2-0 | +2 | +15 | 8th | |
| McDonalds | 1-1 | -2 | +7 | 9th | |
| Immaculate Conception of Taba-ao, Kapangan | 0-2 | -15 | -7 | 10th | |
Nazarene School completed its elimination round games with a 66-64 squeaker over Caliking in a non-bearing game. Caliking has already locked-up the second seed earlier while Nazarene still finished at the bottom of the standings despite tying the Alliance Wonders with two wins.
The Latter Day Saints-Caliking Atok Youth Group match is set to take place this coming Thursday, July 20, at 5:15 PM at the San jose Gym.
The other quarterfinals matches for Thursday will feature third seed Wesleyans against the Holy Knights at 6:30, and fourth seed La Trinidad Benguet International Baptist Church against the Bosco Boys at 7:45.
The match between top seed Assembly of God against eight seed Sacred Heart is set to take place at a later date.
The top four seeds will have twice to beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS
