In their 2nd-round game against Magnolia, Alaska was trailing along the way until the final minute which they came in and even grabbed the lead, but Alaska's semi-final dream came to an end when a call by the referee with 0.3 seconds left caused them the game. Tied at 99 all, former Alaska Ace Mike Cortez split his freethrows to give Magnolia a one-point lead. However, Larry Fonacier's jumper went in front of the rim as time expired and Magnolia escaped with a nail-biting 100–99 win over the defending champions.