Shane Van Boening
Match #1
Alex Pagulayan 4 - Josh Roberts 0
Roberts opened the scoring in the MIH event with a long tough cut. Pagulayan took a foul in inning 7. Then, on his tenth trip to the table, Pagulayan spotted a bank into combo, made it, and ran 9 and out.
In game 2 Pagulayan made a long rail bank and a close together cut to lead, 4-1. Roberts was forced to play a long rail bank, made it and one before missing. Pagulayan completed an easy four ball run to win, 8-3. He now lead in the match, 2-0.
Pagulayan opened the scoring in game three with a short rail bank, and ran 7 more including a crossover bank to complete a run of 8 and out.
Roberts looked like he was going to run 8 and out in game 4, but he missed a jacked up shot on the last ball. Pagulayan ran four, then missed a kill shot. Roberts replied by missing a combo and Pagulayan ran to 7-7 before missing a tough cross table bank. After Roberts played safe, Pagulayan rolled home a difficult two-rail bank to win the game, 8-7, and the match, 4-0.
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Match #2
Thorpe opened with what looked like a fine move, but Van Boening made a long rail crosser over bank and long shot with the cue ball just off the distant end rail, then worked his way through the congestion to run 8 and out.
Van Boening played a poor safe, Thorpe made a thin cut, then a long shot and four more before me missed position and had to play a bank, which he missed. Van Boening gambled on a bank, missed, and Thorpe ran two to win game 2, 8-0. Match tied.
In game 3 Thorpe made two, but then lost position. He left a shot and Van Boening made two, then he gambled on a difficult backcut bank and made it. He completed a run of seven and out to take the lead, 2 games to 1.
Thorpe misplayed a safety which resulted in an exhibition of SVB’s firepower as he made an off-the-rail jacked up shot, a long draw shot, a precision slow roll bank, and a thin cut for shape off of the exploding pack on his way to running 8 and out! The score: SVB 3, Thorpe 1.
In what turned out to be the finale. Van Boening fouled, Thorpe scored but one, left Shane a shot, and it was off to the races. He erased his foul with a bank, then ran 8 more by displaying superb cue ball control to finish a run of 9 and out. Van Boening won the match, 4-1.
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Match #3
Bustamante got the first offensive opportunity, but stalled out after making only two balls. Reyes made a ball for Bustamante, who now led 3-0. Reyes pocketed a bank, and ran five more, then played a safety. Bustamante got unlucky when he left Reyes with a shot near the head rail, and Reyes ran two to close out game 1.
Reyes opened with a bank, but left Bustamante a shot and he made a ball, then a combo and three more to lead, 5-1. Reyes came back with a kick/carom (!) and ran three more to tie the score at 5-5. He jawed a bank and Bustamante made it for him, so the Magician now led, 6-5.
Reyes barely missed a bank that Bustamante made for him. Bustamante then closed to within 7-6 after making a long rail bank, but was forced to shoot a long rail bank with a ball in the jaws of Reyes’ pocket. Bustamante missed and game 2 went to Reyes.
Reyes failed to make a kick with a ball hanging in the jaws of Bustamante’s pocket – who ran 6 to take a 7-2 lead. But then Reyes began chipping away at Bustamante’s lead. He started with a long rail bank. 7-3. He banked close, and Bustamante made it for him, but Reyes then fouled, so it was back to 7-3. Reyes again left a bank near his pocket and Bustamante made it for him. 7-4. Reyes then made a long rail bank and ran four and out to take the game, 8-7. He now led in the match, 3-0.
Bustamante opened up a 3-1 lead, then extended it to 5-1 before missing an easy bank. Reyes made a bank and one more to narrow the gap to 5-3, but then sold out trying to pocket a two rail kick, and Bustamante ran three and out to win his first game.
In game 5 Bustamante ran three and then hung a bank. Reyes replied with a bank and one more, then pocketed Bustamante’s hanger. Reyes now trailed, 4-2. He rolled home a long railer and one more to tie the score at 4-4. He then made another bank and ran four and out to win the match, 4-1. Conclusion: for a 62 year old – heck, for someone at any age – Reyes banks awfully darn well!!
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Match #4
SHANE VAN BOENING 4 ALEX PAGULAYAN 2
Pagulayan won the lag, hit what looked like a fine break, but he left a hanger in front of Van Boening’s pocket. Shane ran three, then uncorked a 16 foot draw shot for position and went on to complete a run of 8 and out.
Pagulayan was in a bind, so he took an intentional foul. Van Boening answered with a long combo, a cut into half a pocket, another tough combo, and then a cluster break that failed to produce another shot. So he left the table leading 4 to -1. Pagulayan got back to 0 with a thin cut with the bridge. Van Boening hung a bank combo, Pagulayan missed a bank, and Van Boening ran three – and now led 7-0.
A lengthy safety battle ensued before Pagulayan left a backcut bank, and Van Boening rolled it in to win, 8-0. He took a 2-0 lead in the match.
In game 3 Van Boening left the door slightly ajar, and Pagulayan made a soft 1-rail kick with an assist from a carom. He then methodically worked his way through the rack, running 8 and out to close the gap to 2 games to 1.
Van Boening fanned in a thin cut, went into the stack, but emerged without a shot. Pagulayan hung a combo and Van Boening made it. 1-1. Pagulayan made a bank and ran four more before jawing a jacked up shot. Van Boening ran three, then made Pagulayan’s hanger. The score was now 7-4 in Alex’s favor. After several safeties Pagulayan was left with a long rail crossover bank and he speared it in to win the game and to tie the match at 2-2.
Van Boening made a ball, the executed a super long distance cluster break (with a dose of luck) and ran three more. He then found a dead ball in the stack, made it and two more, completing yet another gamewinning run of 8 and out.
Pagulayan made a bank/carom, then in a subsequent inning made another one to lead 2-0. But on a safety he scratched, giving Van Boening ball-in-hand. He rolled in long shot, made a difficult combo jacked up, and pocketed a variety of shots in completing his match winning run of 8 and out.
SPONSORSHIP
Ivan Lee and Simonis Cloth are sponsoring this coverage. For more information of Simonis Cloth and Aramith balls, please visit their web site at:
COVERAGE
Coverage is being provided by Phil Capelle.
Visit his site at billiardspress.com
STREAMING
For a live stream of the event, see
