Luck smiled at defending champion Creamline as it got the breaks of the game down the stretch in a controversial, 27-25, 23-25, 27-25, 26-24, escape over Petro Gazz in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals Thursday night at the packed Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Jema Galanza delivered the most important hits in crunchtime to hand the Cool Smashers their first win in the round robin Final Four and keep their championship hopes alive.

Galanza caught fire in the final moments of the fourth frame that she punctuated with the game-winning hammer to cap Creamline’s closing 6-1 blitz that stunned the Angels for a 1-1 win-loss semis card tied with its victims.

The open spiker finished with 23 points built on 20 attacks, two blocks, and an ace while putting up a defensive clinic with 16 digs and 14 excellent receptions.

Tots Carlos made a rousing return as she provided the much-needed support for the Cool Smashers with 21 markers anchored on 17 attacks, three blocks, and an ace.

Creamline had some scary moments at the end of each of the three extended sets in a heated contests that saw controversial calls and non-calls.

The Cool Smashers kept their cool throughout the match and took advantage of Petro Gazz losing focus with calls not going its way.

“There are some parts (that we thought), will we get through this? Can we catch up? Can we win this game?” Galanza said.

“We just thought, in the many challenges we experienced this conference, we’re still here. We’re the people that don’t lose trust with each other,” she added as the Cool Smashers recovered from a sorry five-set loss to Choco Mucho in the semis opener last Tuesday.

Pangs Panaga chipped in 11 points, Alyssa Valdez had 10 markers, while Risa Sato and Michele Gumabao added four points for Creamline.

Kyle Negrito steady with her playmaking, dishing out 26 excellent sets to go with four points.

Galanza took matters into her own hands as she scored Creamline’s last three points in the final moments of the fourth set to derail Petro Gazz’s plan to extend the game to five sets.

The stars aligned for Creamline when Negrito saw an opening on the left side of the court for Galanza’s final kill.

“I know, even if coach (Sherwin Meneses) doesn’t tell me, they expect me to play (hard) today,” Carlos said in her return from a tryout for the 2024 Korean V.League.

Carlos along with Chery Tiggo’s Mylene Paat and MJ Phillips of Petro Gazz, unfortunately, went undrafted.

“I’m also happy that even though I just came back from (South Korea), they let me play, and they didn’t lose their trust in me,” Carlos said.

Brooke Van Sickle finished with 22 points to pace the Angels.

Jonah Sabete added 22 points in a lost cause for Petro Gazz.