Togoba edge Tamaraws in one-point thriller

Togoba Coffee skipper Purari Muri (with ball) in action against Tamaraws Morea Elavo Jnr during the PEB match in Port Moresby yesterday. Togoba won 112-111. (Image: PEB)

Fans were on the edge of their seats following a nail-biting match which saw Togoba Coffee stun Moni Plus Tamaraws, 112-111 yesterday at the Sir John Guise Stadium Indoor Complex.

With a few matches remaining ahead of the Port Moresby Elite Basketball [PEB] competition finals, teams have begun their quest to bring the best ball game to the courts.

Assistant Coach Moi Muri said it was a certainly close match as Tamaraws were at their best leading in the first three quarters.

“We had a lot to polish up on in the last two quarters with both our offense and defense because Tamaraws took the lead in the first three-quarters of the match,” Muri said.

“It was a fast-paced basketball and also got everyone else off their feet to support, in the end, we relied on the free baskets to get extra points and that brought us through.”

Togoba were led by current PNG representative Purari Muri while the Tamaraws side was dominated by the Elavos, another household name in PNG basketball under former rep Gabriel Elavo and captain Moses Kairi.

In the first quarter, it was Tamaraws who took the early lead, 31-24, with the show of class in the shooting game saw Morea Elavo Jnr, Martin Ben, and their skipper lead with points.

Tamaraws led comfortably at halftime with a 52-48 scoreline when Togoba caught up with them during the third quarter.

A breakthrough for the men in green that saw [Purari] Muri, Obert Muri, and fellow teammate Tony Haro score points in the paint for a close 75-77 trail in the third quarter.

It all came down to the wire as the match picked up pace for both sides scoring over 100 points prior to the final whistle.

Tamaraws had the game in their pocket leading by two points with seconds counting down.

However, they spilled their win through professional fouls twice that saw the Togoba captain take his chances for free throws that ended with a one-point difference [112-111] at full-time.

“We still need to work on our offense and defense for our next match but overall, it was a good win for the boys,” coach Muri added.

Meanwhile, PEB’s remaining matches will be played this evening [Wednesday] at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex.