1982 Toyota Super Corollas season

The 1982 Toyota Super Corollas season was the eighth season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Colors

               (dark)
               (light)

Off-season transactions

Recruited four rookies from the MICAA; Antero Saldana, a national youth player from multi-titled APCOR, Ricardo Relosa from Toyota's sister team MAN Diesel, Timoteo Coloso from Solid Mills and Edgardo Cordero, played for Crispa in the amateurs and was a national team member who saw action in the 11th Southeast Asian Games held in Manila.

Awards

• Center Ramon Fernandez was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season, his first MVP trophy after narrowly losing the same award to Atoy Co in 1979.
• Donnie Ray Koonce was named Best Import of the Open Conference.

Summary

The Toyota Super Corollas started their season campaign by winning against rival and defending champions Crispa Redmanizers, 111-110, on opening night of the league's 8th season on March 7. After six games, their import Arnold Dugger was sent home in favor of Donnie Ray Koonce, who led Toyota to a 102-99 win over Gilbey's Gin in his debut on April 13. ^[1] The Super Corollas finish with a 10-8 won-loss record after 18 games in the elimination phase. Toyota scored a two-game sweep off Yco-Tanduay in the best-of-three quarterfinals, and advances to the finals by defeating Crispa, three games to two, in the best-of-five semifinal series, winning the last two games. The Corollas went on to play San Miguel Beer in the first-ever best-of-seven title playoffs. Toyota lost the first two games of the series and had to battled back from a 2-3 series deficit to win the championship in seven games.

In the Asian Invitational Conference, Toyota lost its bid for a grandslam hopes when they bowed to Crispa in the last playing date of the round-robin eliminations. The Super Corollas were swept in two games by the visiting Korean squad in the battle-for-third place wherein Toyota rookie Terry Saldaña figured in a brawl with South Korean guard Lee Minhyun in game two.

Reinforced by 1981 Open Conference Best Import Andrew Fields, teaming up with Donnie Ray Koonce, who earlier helped the team win the Reinforced Filipino Crown, ^[2] the Super Corollas were only tied at fifth with U/Tex after 18 games in the elimination phase but nonetheless made it to the semifinal round and beat N-Rich Coffee Creamers in a playoff for the second finals berth. Toyota won their second title of the season and their 9th and last championship, defeating first time-finalist Gilbey's Gin, powered by Lew Massey and Larry McNeill, via 3-0 finals sweep.

Roster

References

External links

• Toyota nips Crispa in OT