Semifinals Game 2...Sacramento at Charleston

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Sacramento...5...5...2...2   Total=14

Charleston....4...6...6...4    Total=20

TOP PLAYERS IN POINTS PREVENTED

1. J. J. Gargantuan, Charleston 8

1. Great Gruncle Terry, Sacramento 8

3. Cat Timol, Charleston 6

CHARLESTON 60, SACRAMENTO 57

MOUNTAINEERS AIN'T DEAD YET

CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Mountaineers used a stifling defense that included 20 points prevented and 12 blocked shots to win 60-57  before a roaring throng at home and send this entertaining Semifinal series to a conclusive Game 3. 

The two top defensive teams in the MBA were on display here again in Game 2, with Charleston showing a little more teeth and warding off elimination by holding the West Division champs to just 41 percent shooting. 

Charleston, which shared the league leadership in blocked shots with Dallas, came within 2 of the playoff record for one game. 5-10 Cat Timol blocked 6 shots for the victors.

PLAYER OF GAME

Retiring long-range sharpshooter LAPIZ LAPIZ BOLIGRAFO of Charleston overcame the defensive excellence of his point-guard opponent Great Gruncle Terry to lead all scorers with 20 points in this gigantic Mountaineers win. The 10-year veteran was 8 for 13 from the floor, bombing away at a 4 for 7 clip from 3-point range, grabbing 2 rebounds and leading everyone with 3 assists. His back-to-back treys to start the fourth quarter were daggers in the heart of the River Dogs and gave the home team the cushion it needed to secure victory.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS

-- All-MBA forward Flip Testerton,  the other retiring starter on this Charleston club, also played like someone who did not want to see his career end just yet. The 6-5 jumping jack pulled down a game-high 8 rebounds while scoring 10 points, getting 2 assists and 1 blocked shot. 

-- Sacramento point guard Great Gruncle Terry,  the POG of Game 1, nearly repeated that status in this loss. In addition to tying for most points prevented in the game (including two would-be 3s by Boligrafo), Terry led his team in scoring with 15 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, had 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.

-- After getting shut out in Game 1 by the defensive genius of J.J. Gargantuan, Sacramento center Tree Fiddy came back to post an 11-point game, despite the ongoing resistance by his opponent, who tied for most points prevented in the contest. Fiddy also pulled down 6 rebounds, dished out a team-high 2 assists and blocked a team-high 2 shots.

-- 10-year veteran R-Dogs forward Pap Smearz led his team in rebounds with 7, scored 13 points and had 1 assist in the losing effort. 

NEXT UP: Expect points to be at a premium again as the two Semifinalists return to Sacramento for the third and deciding game to see who meets Dallas in the Finals.