GINGOOG CITY?A big fourth-quarter run was all that the defending national champion M. Lhuillier-Cebu Ni?os needed to crush the Quezon Red Oilers, 92-75, at the start of the Misamis Oriental Leg of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II at the Arturo S. Lugod Memorial Sports and Cultural Center.

Smarting from a painful loss at home during the last leg, the Ni?os bounced back with a vengeance to stay on track of barging into the Top 4 and grabbing home-court advantage for the national playoffs beginning next week.

After Roberts Labagala put the Red Oilers on top for the last time at the 5:46 mark of the final period, 66-65, Mark Ababon completed a three-point play to ignite a 22-4 Cebu blast en route to an 87-70 lead with 1:10 left in the contest.

Woodraw Enriquez, Marlon Basco and Stephen Padilla joined Ababon in methodically transforming the once tight contest into a runaway victory for the Ni?os of Michel Lhuillier and coach Raul ?Yayoy? Alcoseba.

The Ni?os then coasted to the win and hiked their Liga Tour points total to 27 and remained at fifth place, two points behind the third place Red Oilers of Gov. Raffy Nantes and coach Oliver Bunyi.

In between are the idle Manila Capitals, who also have 29 points, but the Red Oilers hold the better tiebreak quotient.

Padilla and Ababon led the Ni?os with 18 points each followed by Marlon Basco with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Mark Magsumbol paced the Red Oilers with 18 markers while Ramsey Williams chipped in 15.

The contest saw four deadlocks and 19 lead changes as the Red Oilers hung tough against the Ni?os for three and a half periods.