WITH JOB ON THE LINE, DANIELS LEADS TNT IN 83-62 ROUT OF ALASKA; SERIES NOW TIED 2-ALL

(From PBA)

Under the threat of being replaced, Shawn Daniels asserted himself in Game 4 as Talk ‘N Text bowled over Alaska, 83-62 Wednesday to even their PBA Fiesta Conference semifinal series at two games apiece at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The portly import scored 13 points to share scoring honors with teammate Jason Castro and grabbed 14 rebounds in a game that may decide his fate with the team.

“Now I am faced with a good problem,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes, who had told Daniels of his impending decision should the team suffered a second straight loss.

Reyes said Daniels’ deteriorating performance prompted him to take a drastic move for the good of the team.

“We know that Shawn is not a scorer. But he’s got to rebound and defend. It’s a big disadvantage for the locals if Diamon Simpson (Alaska import) will get away with double-doubles,” Reyes emphasized.

TNT’s standby import, Omar Shariff Sneed, arrived Wednesday evening and watched Game 4 at ringside beside team owner Manny Pangilinan.

“We’ll make a decision tomorrow (Thursday) after practice,” Reyes said, adding will consult with his coaching staff and some of his players before making a decision.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is set Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Apparently, the presence of Sneed became a challenge for Daniels who never gave Simpson a chance to roam around the lane.

With Simpson held in check, the Aces tried to look for other offensive sources but no one else clicked.

Mark Cardona collected 11 points and Jimmy Alapag added 10 and 11 assists for the Tropang Texters, who held off a second quarter charge by the Aces before ripping the game wide open in the third quarter.

Alaska’s total output was the lowest for the franchise in the last nine conferences.

Simpson took just nine attempts, made six and finished with a conference-low 12 points that went with his 12 rebounds.

The only other Ace who managed to score in double digit was back-up center Samigue Eman, with 11, his highest in an Alaska uniform. As a team Alaska shot just 35 percent (25 of 70) and committed 19 turnovers, nine more that TNT.

Alaska appeared to have gained momentum in the second quarter when it went on an 8-0 run that shoved the Aces ahead, 27-24.

But the Ranidel de Ocampo and Daniels quickly responded with successive baskets as TNT outscored Alaska, 22-5, over a seven minute stretch for a comfortable 46-33 advantage at halftime.

The Aces never recovered after that as Talk 'N Text even went on to lead by as many as 24 in the second half. (DBC)

The scores:

Talk N' Text 83 - Castro 13, Daniels 13, Cardona 11, Alapag 10, Yee 8, De Ocampo 8, Carey 8, Dillinger 5, Williams 5, Quinahan 2.

Alaska 62 - Simpson 12, Eman 11, Baguio 7, Dela Cruz 7, De Vance 6, Tenorio 6, Borboran 5, Thoss 5, Hugnatan 2, Fonacier 1, Robinson 0, Cariaso 0.

Quarterscores: 20-18, 46-33, 69-45, 83-62

BEERMEN SILENCE B-MEG'S GUNS ANEW, MOVE A WIN CLOSER TO FINALS

(From PBA)

Mighty San Miguel Beer is a game away from gaining a shot at back-to-back PBA Fiesta Conference championships.

The Beermen, the reigning champs with fresher legs, wore down the B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados, 83-75, to move in the doorstep of the finals Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Cashing in heavily on their domination off the boards, the Beermen opened a 14-point spread, 75-61, midway through the final period and went on to get the pivotal 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven semifinal series.

The Beermen take the first of their three cracks at securing a final seat Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen said they would not take anything for granted, believing Derby Ace is capable of overcoming tough adversity.

Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio, meanwhile, vowed they wouldn’t stop fighting until the fighting is over.

For the record, the SMC-Purefoods Hormel franchise has successfully climbed out of two 0-2 and one 1-3 holes in best-of-seven series.

Gregorio, however, admitted they’re facing so enormous a task this time.

Game Four showed indications fatigue is taking its toll on Derby Ace.

“Yes, we can see Derby Ace is exhausted. Still, it wasn’t easy for us getting the win,” said Tanquingcen.

“We're manhandled in rebounding. It’s a familiar refrain, we’ll have a hard time against this team if we don’t get the rebounds,” said Gregorio.

The Beermen dominated the boards and scored heavily on second shots as they torched the Llamados in the final canto.

Gabe Freeman and Jay Washington both came through with double-double numbers and the whole SMB team snared 61 rebounds to Derby Aces’ 45.

The Llamados actually rallied to within four, 71-75, only to fade away again as they yielded crucial offensive rebounds.

Freeman had a monster performance, snaring 24 rebounds and putting in 22 points.

Tony Washam himself showed signs of slowing down, getting only 12 points and eight rebounds. (SB)

The scores:

San Miguel 83 - Freeman 22, Santos 12, Hontiveros 12, Washington 11, Yeo 7, Cabagnot 7, Ildefonso 7, Racela 3, Villanueva 2, Pena 0.

B-Meg Derby Ace 75 - Yap J. 18, Yap R. 15, Washam 12, Pingris 8, Maierhofer 6, Simon 6, Reavis 4, Canaleta 3, Artadi 2, Allado 1.

Quarters: 18-17, 36-34, 58-54, 83-75

ALASKA ACES UP, 2-1

(From PBA)

LA Tenorio outshone Jimmy Alapag in Game One then the Talk n Text point guard turned things around in the next game.

Being upstaged for the second straight game, Tenorio stole the thunder in the end as Alaska Milk upended Talk n Text, 90-86, for the crucial 2-1 lead in their PBA Fiesta Conference best-of-seven semifinal showdown at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.

Tenorio struggled most of the way but delivered when needed the most as the Aces moved to within two games of the finals.

The former Ateneo star guard scored all of their last seven points after being held down to two points in the first 47 minutes of play.

“LA was as calm as a cucumber. He reminds me of Jojo Lastimosa who used to be our Mr. Fourth Quarter Man. LA just doesn’t get rattled in pressure-packed situations,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

Tenorio banged away a three-pointer and nailed four charities in the last 45 seconds, negating Alapag’s 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Diamon Simpson carried the fight for Alaska early on, coming through with 31 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block in a splendid 46-minute outing.

“Diamon was a monster out there. It helped to be 22, playing a third game in five days. I was thinking of resting him but I said ‘oh, he’s only 22,’” said Cone of his prized import.

Macmac Cardona, TnT’s leading scorer with an average of 17 points a game, groped for form in his first game after his wedding Friday, getting only six points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Ranidel de Ocampo paced the Texters with 18 points but he incurred a crucial offensive foul that hastened their downfall.

The Texters were down by only two, 84-86, when De Ocampo charged into Reynel Hugnatan with 26 seconds to go.

Kelly Williams was forced to give up a foul 11 seconds later, and Tenorio coolly sank two charities to make it 88-84.

Cone said it’s a big win for them going to a two-day break.

“We have a chance to refresh and play them on even terms Wednesday,” said Cone. “It would've been a lot difficult had we lost this game.” (SB)

The scores:

Alaska 90 -- Simpson 31, Hugnatan 12, Fonacier 11, Tenorio 9, De Vance 7, Baguio 7, Dela Cruz 6, Thoss 5, Borboran 2.

TNT 86 – De Ocampo 18, Alapag 17, Reyes 14, Carey 12, Dillinger 9, Williams 6, Cardona 6, Daniels 4, Castro 0.

Quarters: 17-24; 40-37; 61-65; 90-86

BEERMEN GIVE LLAMADOS DOSE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE, NOW LEAD 2-1

(From PBA)

THERE is another side to San Miguel Beer it fully bared to B-Meg Derby Ace Sunday.

The Beermen were at their most awesome on the defensive end in hacking out a 74-70 victory and wresting back the upper hand in their PBA Fiesta Conference semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum.

Arwind Santos drained a crucial right corner triple that shattered the last deadlock and pegged a 73-70 count, still 65 seconds to go, before SMB harried Derby Ace into muffing three of its last four offensive thrusts.

The only other Llamados possession resulted in a decisive inbounding error and led to a charity by Dondon Hontiveros for the final count, only 21.7 ticks left.

That tough defensive stance after being jolted by several 12-point deficits early enabled SMB to hold Derby Ace to just 25 points in the second half, both a conference low and season-tying worst for the league.

It also resulted in the win that bounced the Beermen back from a numbing 94-95 loss in the best-of-seven duel’s Game 2 only last Friday and made coach Siot Tanquingcen beam about his charges’ overall defensive efforts.

“It was a conscious effort on our part,” said Tanquingcen, whose team also won the opener 101-88.

“Even if people say we have some good talent on the offensive end, talent can only get you so far, eh. Pagdating ng playoffs everybody’s talented naman, so you have to make stops to give yourself some chance to get ahead a little.”

Only Tony Washam’s step-back jumper at the final 1:23 mark was the only endgame field goal allowed by SMB, which went into the series ranked behind Derby Ace in points allowed during the eliminations but now leads all semifinalists in that category.

Prior to that twinner, Washam’s back-to-the-basket tip-in gave Derby Ace a 68-65 lead which soon vanished in the last 4:46.

B-Meg Derby Ace wound up scoring 21, 13 and 12 points in the last three quarters and shot just 5-of-18 and 4-of-20 from the field in the third and fourth periods.

Ironically, B-Meg Derby Ace did the same to SMB in Game 2, enabling the Llamados to come charging back from an early 18-point deficit.

Aside from anchoring the defense on James Yap, Hontiveros led SMB with 17 points, while Gabe Freeman bucked foul trouble to finish with 14 points and a gamehigh 20 rebounds.

Washam paced B-Meg Derby Ace with 22 points, including half of his team’s fourth quarter output. James Yap chipped in 17 but he went 0-of-4 from the field in the fourth.

Veteran Olsen Racela typified the Beermen’s defense by going on an all-out sprint and blocking from behind KG Canaleta’s buzzer-beating triple try just before the third period ended, foiling the latter’s bid to add on to his team’s 58-57 edge.

That play not only drew appreciative cheers from the hordes of fans who braved the heavy rains and floods to watch the games, but also inspired the rest of the Beermen to intensify their efforts.

It also planted the seeds of doubt on the collective minds of the Llamados, who opened up the game 13-1, led by as much as 17 in the second and still enjoyed a 45-33 halftime lead. (NC)

The scores:

San Miguel Beer  74 – Hontiveros 17, Freeman 14, Washington 12, Santosd 8, Pena 6, Villanueva 5, Yeo 5, Cabagnot 5, Seigle 2, Racela 0, Ildefonso 0.

B-Meg Derby Ace 70 – Washam 22, Yap J. 17, Allado 10, Timberlake 5, Artadi 5, Pingris 4, Canaleta 3, Maierhofer 2, Salvador 0, Yap R. 0.

Quarterscores: 14-24; 33-45; 57-58; 74-70

B-MEG TIES SERIES ON WALSHAM HEROICS

(From PBA)

MAKING the game’s biggest offensive play wasn’t enough for Tony Washam. He preserved it by pulling off the game’s biggest stop, too.

Derby Ace’s prolific import completed a three-point play with 7.9 seconds remaining, and then added further luster to it with a steal in the subsequent possession, and the Llamados successfully fought back from an 18-point deficit in a gut-wrenching 95-94 victory over San Miguel Beer Friday night in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

The man who struggled in the series opener on 6-of-18 field-goal shooting scored 33 points, 10 coming in the final period punctuated by a strong move to the basket. He connected on a lay-up, drew the sixth and final foul from Gabe Freeman and sank the bonus shot as Derby Ace tied the series at one game apiece.

But before the Llamados could celebrate, they still had to go through a tense moment in the Beermen’s final offensive play. As it turned out, Washam was there again to save them.

Washam stole the ball from the blind side when Danny Seigle attempted to make a pirouette move inside the paint, and then hurled the ball up onto their front court as he recovered the ball.

“It’s always nice to win against San Miguel Beer,” said Llamados coach Ryan Greogorio. “We’re back from scratch and let’s just hope we can pull off an upset. But there are still a lot of things we have to improve on. The rewards are really tremendous if you win against a highly fancied team.”

Playing in his only fourth game in the league, Washam also pulled down seven rebounds and four steals, and James Yap added 18 points and nine rebounds for Derby Ace, which was nearly written off after getting buried by a 45-27 deficit in the second period.

Don Allado contributed 15 points despite fouling out with 4:38 left to play for the Llamados, who conquered the Beermen despite being outrebounded 50-39 and shooting merely 37.8 percent from the field (31-of-82).

“The other thing we have to work on is how to figure out a way to score easy baskets,” said Gregorio. “We’re practically bleeding. That’s goes to show how tough their defense is.”

No one, though, will question how determined these Llamados are.

They didn’t give up when San Miguel threatened to rip the game wide open in the first half, never lost hope when, after coming to within 57-53, the Beermen stormed back to a double-digit lead at 70-57 late in the third period.

And they never waived the white flag when Alex Cabagnot had a split from the line to push the Beermen to a 94-92 lead.

With no more time-out left, Derby Ace ran its offensive play as if it was implanted on the players’ memory. Washam took the ball at long court, before beating Arwind Santos with his first step and driving hard to the basket.

Santos had 19 points to lead the Beermen in scoring, while Freeman had another monster game that went to the trash bin with 18 points and 21 rebounds.

The scores:

B-Meg Derby Ace (95) - Washam 33, Yap J. 18, Allado 15, Yap R. 9, Pingris 6, Reavis 5, Timberlake 2, Salvador 2, Artadi 2, Simon 2, Maierhofer 1, Canaleta 0.

San Miguel Beer (94) - Santos 19, Freeman 18, Washington 13, Hontiveros 9, Ildefonso 9, Villanueva 8, Cabagnot 8, Yeo 7, Seigle 3, Pena 0.

Quarterscores: 18-30, 45-57, 74-79, 95-94

TALK ‘N TEXT POINT GUARDS GET PAYBACK OVER TENORIO

(From PBA)

Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes and Jason Castro responded to their coach’s challenge and Talk ‘N Text rebounded from its embarrassing defeat in Game 1.

Alapag had a brilliant second half where he scored all his 25 points which helped propel the Tropang Texters to a 100-94 victory against the Alaska Aces Friday and evened their PBA Fiesta Conference semifinals series at one game apiece.

“L.A. Tenorio manhandled us in Game 1. So the challenge for Jimmy and Jason (Castro) was to make sure it does not happen again,” said Talk 'N Text head coach Chot Reyes.

After a scoreless first half, Alapag made 8 of 11 shots in the second half, including 5 of 8 from the three-point range on the way to a double-double effort as he also had 10 assists.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is set Sunday (6 p.m.) also at the Araneta Coliseum.

Early in the game, it looked like the Tropang Texters were in trouble again as Joe Devance knocked in threes one after the other, putting the Aces in control.

The Alaska forward scored 16 points including 4-of-6 three-pointers in the opening half but he appeared to have lost his confidence in the endgame, passing up even on open looks that didn’t escape the attention of coach Tim Cone, who yelled at him to shoot late in the fourth.

Devance made just one attempt in the second half – a miss from the three-point arc.

“We gave up 27 points in the first seven minutes of the game but held them to just two the rest of the first quarter. From there we knew it was just a matter of matching their intensity in the second half,” related Reyes.

Alapag, who went 0-of-3 in the first half, picked up his rhythm in the third quarter and provided the spark the Tropang Texters needed. He scattered 12 points to singlehandedly rally Talk 'N Text, which outscored Alaska, 25-19 to pull within two points entering the fourth.

The count was tied at 72 with 8:39 remaining when Alapag made back-to-back threes that keyed off a telling 19-7 run. He had 13 points in that spurt, ending it with another three-pointer with 4:46 left that gave Talk 'N Text an 89-79 lead it never relinquished.

Besides Alapag, Castro and Ryan Reyes also stepped up big as TNT’s three-guard rotation more than made up for the absence of Mac Cardona, who missed Game 2 to marry his long time girlfriend Carissa.

Castro scored 17 points and had four assists while Reyes added 11, three assists and two steals. Even Kelly Williams, who was treated for dinner by Alaska forward Reynel Hugnatan in Game 1, also had an impressive game with 10 points and seven boards.

“We knew Macmac would not play and we were prepared without him. And we can’t use that as an excuse. So it’s important that Jason step up with Ryan,” Reyes said.

Diamon Simpson finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds but the Alaska import didn’t get enough support from the locals especially in the fourth.

Alaska made just 7 of 15 shots in the fourth while TNT went 11 of 16.

Cyrus Baguio scored 13 points and he and De Vance had three turnovers each as Alaska committed a total 17 for the game, seven more than TNT, which netted 16 points from those miscues. (DBC)

The scores:

Talk ‘N Text 100 - Alapag 25, Castro 17, De Ocampo 13, Reyes 11, Daniels 11, Williams 10, Carey 7, Dillinger 6, Quinahan 0, Lao 0.

Alaska 94 - Simpson 25, De Vance 16, BAguio 13, Thoss 12, Tenorio 9, Fonacier 8,Hugnatan 6, Dela Cruz 6, Eman 1, Robinson 0, Cariaso 0.

Quarterscores: 28-29, 44-52, 69-71, 100-94

Aces stun Texters, take 1-0 lead in best-of-seven semis series

(From PBA Online)

Up against the most explosive team in the league, Alaska got a big lift from an unlikely source.

Defense-minded Reynel Hugnatan presided over a telling third-quarter breakaway as the Alaska Aces stunned no. 1 seed Talk N Text at the start of their PBA semifinals series Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Averaging just 4.4 points per game, Hugnatan came through with 16 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of play, sparking a second-half
breakaway that turned an expected close match into a rout.

The lead reached as high as 100-76 on a Cyrus Baguio three-pointer with 2:32 left to play, paving the way for the Aces to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"We played almost picture-perfect in the second half and we must continue to do that to beat this team in this series," said Cone.

Ranidel de Ocampo led Talk N Text with 20 points, but the rest of the Tropang Texters big men got saddled by foul trouble early in the fourth period, further hobbling the Tropang Texters' frontline.

The Aces beat out the Tropang Texters off the boards, 53-47.

Ironically, the Tropang Texters lost five of their first six series opener in a best-of-seven series.

Import Diamon Simpson led the Aces with 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Joe Devance added 19 points and LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio had 13 points each.

Tony Dela Cruz only had nine points, but grabbed eight rebounds, while new acquisition Topex Robinson scored four points on perimeter jumpers.

"I don't think they had a real answer for Rey because they focused so much on Diamon they forgot about some of our other players," said Cone. "That's easy to do with the numbers Diamon puts up."

The Aces trailed, 44-46, before Baguio and Hugnatan took over and led the team to a 78-65 spread. - RCJ, GMANews.TV

Scores:

Alaska 104 - Simpson 19, Devance 19, Hugnatan 16, Tenorio 13, Baguio 13, dela Cruz 9, Fonacier 5, Robinson 4, Eman 2, Borboran 0, Cablay 0.

Talk 'N Text 88 - de Ocampo 20, Cardona 17, Daniels 13, Carey 13, Castro 6, Reyes 6, Alapag 6, Williams 3, Dillinger 2, Aban 2, Yee 0, Quinahan 0.

Quarters: 20-38, 44-38, 78-68, 104-88

Well-rested Beermen rip Llamados

(From Inquirer)

Jay Washington pumped in a season-high 28 points as San Miguel Beer rolled past B-Meg Derby Ace, 101-88, Wednesday night to seize a 1-0 lead in their PBA Fiesta Conference best-of-seven semifinal series at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The 6-foot-7 Washington poured 14 of his output in a blistering third-quarter assault that allowed the well-rested and fired-up Beermen to pull away for good.

“J-Wash was a big part of our success tonight,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen of the red-hot Washington, who also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out four assists.

“He was passing the ball well. He was good defensively.”

The Beermen flashed a fluid offense and a suffocating defense to outscore the Llamados, 35-13, in the third period.

Dragged to five games in the quarterfinals, the Llamados looked like a spent force in the second half after engaging the Beermen in a nip-and-tuck battle in the first two quarters.

Llamados import Tony Washam, three days removed from his 49-point explosion in the series-clinching win over Rain or Shine, was held to just 23 points this time as San Miguel sent double teams to clamp down on him.

“We were not just a step behind, but three to four steps behind,” said B-Meg Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio. “San Miguel was really in-synch in what they were trying to do.”

Washington sparkled on both ends of the floor, throwing down three dunks and completing a three-point play in a four-minute stretch.

His offensive burst was a point short of his career-high set in Game 1 of the Philippine Cup semifinals against Talk 'N Text.

San Miguel closed out the quarter with a 16-2 blast, capped by a triple from Jonas Villanueva that gave the Beermen their biggest lead at 79-55.

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL BEER 101—Washington 28, Freeman 23, Santos 15, Hontiveros 15, Villanueva 8, Pena 4, Racela 3, Cabagnot 2, Seigle 2, Miranda 1, Yeo 0, Ildefonso 0, Pennisi 0.

B-MEG DERBY ACE 88—J. Yap 24, Washam 23, Simon 12, Artadi 7, Timberlake 6, Maierhofer 6, Pingris 4, Adducul 2, Reavis 2, R. Yap 2, Canaleta 0, Allado 0.

Quarters: 25-21, 44-44, 79-57, 101-88

SAN MIGUEL BOOKS SEMIS SEAT

(From PBA)

In the end, powerhouse San Miguel Beer still took the shortcut to the semifinal round, overcoming a bumpy ride entering the homestretch of the elimination round.

The second wind SMB gotten on the return of Gabe Freeman carried the team all the way to a playoff win over B-MEG Derby Ace Friday night, allowing the Beermen to join the Talk n Text Tropang Texters in an early entry into the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Final Four.

The Beermen withstood the Llamados, 88-83, in a furious battle at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, thus, getting tremendous boost in their title-retention campaign.

They will take at least a two-week rest before resuming their defense of the championship of they won over the Barangay Ginebra Kings last year.

San Miguel is looking to become the first team to successfully defend a title since Red Bull topped the Commissioner’s Cup in years 2001 and 2002.

“This is God’s blessing. But I would say the same, we are going to be judged at what happens after the conference,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

“That’s the reality we have to face. The challenge is how to handle the break – one thing we didn’t handle well in the last conference,” added Tanquingcen, recalling their failed bid in the most recent Philippine Cup after an outright semis passage.

Freeman got away with a double-double game with 20 points and 19 rebounds while Dondon Hontiveros rifled in three triples and finished with 21 points as San Miguel stopped Derby Ace on its tracks, relegating the Llamados to no. 3 playoff seeding in the process.

The Llamados, the Philippine Cup rulers, will play the wildcard survivor in a best-of-five quarterfinal series.

Jay Washington and Alex Cabagnot also played big for the Beermen as they ended the Llamados’ six-game run while stretching their own streak to three games since Freeman’s return from a two-game layoff.

James Yap erupted for 28 points while Nino Canaleta and Rafi Reavis combined for 26 points and 15 rebounds but the Llamados got minimal numbers from import Cliff Brown.

The Derby Ace import struggled for nine points and 10 rebounds and had a hard time defending against his prolific SMB counterpart.

Still, the Llamados put up a tough fight, rallying from early double-digit deficits to engage the Beermen in a fierce battle in the payoff period.

Hontiveros banged away six points in the final minute helping SMB finally hurdle Derby Ace’s never-say-die stand.

The hard-nosed Cebuano player and Washington exerted much effort early as the Beermen gained double-digit spreads right in the first period.

They combined for four triples and a total of 25 points in the first half which went in their favor at 42-31. (SB)

The scores:

San Miguel 88 - Hontiveros 21, Freeman 20, Washington 19, Cabagnot 14, Santos 6, Seigle 5, Yeo 3, Villanueva 0, Miranda 0, Racela 0, Ildefonso 0, Pena 0.

B-Meg Derby Ace 83 - Yap J. 28, Canaleta 16, Reavis 10, Brown 9, Maierhofer 6, Yap R. 6, Pingris 4, Simon 2, Allado 2, Artadi 0.

Quarters: 23-13, 42-31, 61-58, 88-83

GINEBRA ROUTS RAIN OR SHINE, ADVANCES TO Q’FINALS

(From PBA)

Putting on a performance that pleased their head coach landed the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the playoffs.

New import Christopher Daniels did a little of everything in Barangay Ginebra’s 115-88 romp over Rain or Shine Friday night that earned the Kings an outright passage to the quarterfinals of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

“It’s been a while since we played this way,” proclaimed Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico, visibly relieved that his team managed to avoid the wildcard phase.

“We were focused and played as team the whole game. We didn’t play this well during the past few games,” said Uichico referring to their three-game losing streak at the close of the classification round.

Daniels, Ginebra’s fourth import this conference, turned in19 points on 8 of 14 shooting and grabbed as many rebounds in 31 minutes. He also had six assists, had three steals and two blocks -- not bad for a debuting import.

“For a start it’s not bad. But I want him to be more energetic and be more physical in our upcoming games,” Uichico said.

The Kings got off to a good start with some excellent shooting and held off the Elasto Painters in their tracks with a tough zone defense that limited the RoS to a 38 percent field goal shooting in the first half. The Elasto Painters, who normally won games with their 3-point shooting, managed just 9 of 31 attempts from long range.

Daniels and Jayjay Helterbrand scored 10 points apiece in the first half as the Kings built a commanding 62-47 advantage at the break. Helterbrand eventually finished with 17 points, including a 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, and had eight assists.

Ronald Tubid scored 14 points and Willie Miller and Mark Caguioa had 13 apiece for the Kings who will face Alaska in the best-of-five quarterfinals.

It was a frustrating loss for the Elasto Painters, who forced the playoff with the Kings by working hard to win their last two games in the classification round but were never up to the task when the going got tough.

They failed to match Ginebra’s aggressiveness and didn’t show the kind of urgency the Kings displayed.

As a result, they were relegated to the wildcard phase along with Coca-Cola, Sta. Lucia and Air21.

The battle for survival begins on Sunday with Rain or Shine taking on Air 21 in a knockout match and Coca-Cola battling Sta. Lucia. The winner of Sunday’s encounters will knock each other off on Wednesday to determine the last quarterfinalist opposite the San Miguel Beer-B-Meg Derby Ace second game.

Solomon Mercado led Rain or Shine with 24 points. Import Rod Nealy added 17 and 12 rebounds and Jeffrei Chan had 14 for the Elasto Painters, who gave up 26 points on 15 turnovers. (DBC)

The scores:

Barangay Ginebra 115 - Daniels 19, Helterbrand 17, Tubid 14, Miller 13, Caguioa 13, Intal 12, Menk 8, Hatfield 6, De Ocampo 6, Cortez 5, Ferriols 2, Wilson 0, Villanueva 0.

Rain or Shine 88 - Mercado 24, Nealy 17, Chan 14, Ibanes 7, Norwood 5, Reyes 5, Laure 5, Cruz 4, Telan 4, Arana 3, Arellano 0, Tang 0, Hrabak 0.

Quarterscores: 31-27, 62-47, 91-67, 115-88

B-Meg beats Barako, sets playoff for automatic semis

(From PBA Online)

B-Meg Derby Ace has set a date with San Miguel Beer for the last automatic semifinal seat after trouncing Barako Coffee, 106-100, Sunday night in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Cliff Brown tallied a personal-high 43 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in his best game yet to power the Llamados to their 6th straight win and tie the Beermen at the number 2 slot with a 12-6 slate.

Derby Ace and San Miguel collide on Friday for the remaining automatic semis spot.

"We're doing a good job for the last 6 games. Unfortunately, it's not enough to secure us the number 2 seed," said Llamados head coach Ryan Gregorio.

James Yap added 18 points while Nino Canaleta and Roger Yap netted 13 and 10 markers, respectively, for the Llamados.

Sammy Monroe led the Coffee Masters with 37 points to go along with his 8 assists but Barako Coffee missed the next round of the tournament for the 4th straight conference.

The wards of coach Junel Baculi ended their campaign with a league worst 3-15. - www.abs-cbnnews.com

Scores:

Derby Ace 106 � Brown 43, Yap J. 18, Canaleta 13, Yap R. 10, Maierhofer 7, Artadi 6, Simon 5, Pingris 4, Adducul 0, Reavis 0, Allado 0.

Barako Coffee 100 � Monroe 37, Isip 14, Hubalde 13, Reyes 10, Gaco 7, Alonzo 6, Najorda 5, Vergara 4, Juntilla 3, Dimaunahan 1, Wainwright 0.

Quarter scores: 29-22, 58-48, 82-67, 106-100.

Painters down Tigers

(From PBA Online)

Rain or Shine forced a knockout match for the last automatic quarterfinals seat after pulling off a 101-90 demolition of Coca Cola to end its elimination phase with a 9-9 slate.

The Elasto Painters will meet Barangay Ginebra on Friday for the remaining quarterfinal slot.

Rod Nealy had another solid showing for Rain or Shine with 26 points, 17 rebounds and 7 assists to follow up his 41-point explosion in their 113-111 thriller against Air 21 last game.

"The guys played their hearts out. We didn't rely on one guy on this game. It's really a total team effort," said Elasto Painters mentor Caloy Garcia who also got 17 markers from Solomon Mercado.

Gabe Norwood and Ryan Arana each had 13 markers for Rain or Shine while Tyrone Tang contributed 11 off the bench.

The win set up a do-or-die duel with the Kings, who are parading a new import in Chris Daniels.

"Despite losing their last few games, Ginebra is still one of the top teams in the league," said Garcia.

John Williamson led the Tigers with 23 points while Gary David added 16. Asi Taulava contributed 11 points and 18 rebounds for Coke, which was relegated to the wildcard stage against Sta. Lucia Realty.

Coke actually battled back from an 11-point deficit in the first half and even took a 78-77 lead on Williamson's split free throws with 9:48 left.

Neal and Mercado teamed up for a telling 12-2 run for an 89-80 advantage with 6:10 remaining.

The Tigers threatened at 84-89 but Arana, who sank the buzzer beater against the Express, stole a pass for a breakaway lay-up to seal the win for the Painters.

The league moved the playoff matches to Friday in deference to the inauguration of President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Wednesday, June 30. - www.abs-cbnnews.com

Scores:

Rain or Shine 101 � Nealy 26, Mercado 17, Norwood 13, Arana 13, Tang 11, Laure 7, Ibanes 6, Reyes 5, Hrabak 3, Chan 0, Telan 0.

Coca-Cola 90 � Williamson 33, David 16, Cruz 14, Macapagal 12, Taulava 11, Espino 8, Mendoza 6, Allera 0, Rodriguez 0, Lanete 0, Rizada 0, Gonzales 0.

Quarter scores: 28-23, 53-47, 75-77, 101-90.

TIGERS KEEP QF BID ALIVE

(From PBA)

The Coca-Cola Tigers remained on the prowl.

The Tigers roared on, making it three in a row with John Williamson in tow to stay in the running for an outright quarterfinals berth.

Coke finished strong in the second quarter and sustained the heat in the final half for a pivotal 87-76 win over Sta. Lucia Realty in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

Williamson and company stayed in equal footing with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 8-9, both having a chance at catching up with the Barangay Ginebra Kings (9-9)at fifth place at the close of the double-round elimination phase.

Coca-Cola and Rain or Shine clash in a virtual playoff match Sunday also at the Big Dome.

The winner forces a playoff with the Kings for the last automatic slot in the quarters while the loser settles for a spot in the wildcard plays.

“We’ve got a crack at an outright quarters slot on a three-game romp. It would be meaningless if we bungle our game Sunday,” said Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol.

“Rain or Shine will surely be there fighting so it’s gonna be a battle. We’ll be there going for it,” Perasol added.

Coke’s “Big Four” of Williamson, Gary David, Asi Taulava and Dennis Espino all delivered huge numbers as the Tigers got the key win following an equally important victory by the Elasto Painters earlier in the day.

Victories by both Coca-Cola and Rain or Shine denied Ginebra outright entry into the quarters.

David put in a game-high 22 points with Williamson adding 20 points, Taulava 17 and Espino 16.

The Tigers had a so-so start but picked up their game towards the end of the first half and kept on going in the final 24 minutes of play.

Coca-Coca, which trailed by as many as 10 early on, took the half at 41-35 on a strong closing run capped by back-to-back baskets by Espino.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 14, 64-50, at the end of the third and did a good job holding on to the finish. (SB)

The scores:

Coca-Cola 87 - David 22, Williamson 20, Taulava 17, Espino 16, Cruz 5, Macapagal 3, Gonzales 2, Lanete 2, Allera 0, Bono 0, Rizada 0, Calimag 0, Mendoza 0.

Sta. Lucia 76 - Johnson 21, Escobal 14, Menor 12, Peek 10, Custodio 9, Aljamal 6, Ross 4, Urbiztondo 0, Espinas 0, Omolon 0, Misolas 0, Aquino 0.

Quarters: 17-25, 41-35, 64-50, 87-76

DOWN BY 20, NEALY-LED RAIN OR SHINE BEATS AIR21 AT THE BUZZER

(From PBA)

The final offensive rebound fell on the hands of Ryan Arana and the wily guard quickly made the follow-up shot just before time expired to lift Rain or Shine to an incredible 113-111 come-from behind victory against Air 21 Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

It was an incredible turnaround for the Elasto Painters who rallied from a 28-point deficit in the third quarter to stay in contention for an outright quarterfinal berth in the PBA Fiesta Conference.

Rain or Shine turned the game around in the fourth quarter with suffocating defense and Rod Nealy’s timely 3-point shooting. Nealy, who took over from Jai Lewis, eventually finished with a game-high 41 points.

But that man of the hour was clearly Arana, who scored 11 of his 13 points fourth.

With the count tied at 111-111, the Painters worked the ball to Nealy, who misfired a 12-footer with 2.2 seconds remaining. But Arana, who was positioned underneath the basket, beat everyone else to the rebound to grab the loose ball and put it in the nick of time.

The Elasto Painters thus improved to a 8-9 (win-loss) record with their stunning victory. 

“We played lazy for three quarters. But Sol (Mercado), Gabe (Norwood), Ryan (Arana) and Rod refused to give up. For three quarters Leroy Hickerson (Air 21 import) was killing us with his offense but good thing we shut him down in the fourth,” said Rain or Shine head coach Caloy Garcia.

Mercado scored 19 points and Norwood added 15, five assists and four steals for the Elasto Painters, who need to win against Coca-Cola at the close of the classification round on Sunday to arrange a playoff with Barangay Ginebra (9-9) for the last outright quarterfinal berth.

The setback was frustrating for the Express and a bitter pill to swallow for head coach Yeng Guiao and his team.

They already appeared to have a lock on the win when they built a 88-60 advantage 3:55 left in the third.

Then things went wayward in the fourth. They lost their focus on defense and their offense went sour. Hickerson, who finished with 34 points, shot just 2 of 3 in the fourth and didn’t score his first field goal of the period until the last 1:22.

Air21, which closed the classification round with a 4-14 mark, was hoping for a win to secure its place in the wildcard. The Express’ wildcard hopes now depend on a loss by Barako Coffee (3-14) to B-Meg Derby Ace on Sunday.

The Express led 98-88 when Nealy strung three successive treys then fed Norwood, who scored on a two-handed slam to put Rain or Shine ahead, 99-98, with 5:29 to go.

A basket by Billy Mamaril gave Air21 a one point lead but the Elasto Painters scored 12 of the next 15 points, including a three three-point shot each from Mercado, Nealy and Arana, for a 111-105 lead with 1:36 left.

But the Express refused to wilt under pressure and answered with six straight points to tie the count at 111-all with 19 seconds remaining. (DBC)

The scores:

Rain or Shine 113 - Nealy 41, Mercado 19, Norwood 15, Arana 13, Chan 5, Reyes 5, Cruz 4, Laure 4, Tang 2, Ibanes 2, Telan 2,Hrabak 1, Salangsang 0.

Air21 111 - Hickerson 34, Buenafe 21, Ritualo 11, Kramer 10, Alvarez 8, Mamaril 8, Gonzales 7, Williams 4, Belga 4, Matias2, Billones 2, Sharma 0, Arboleda 0.

Quarterscores: 24-34, 52-61, 78-95, 113-111

AIR21 MOVES OUT OF CELLAR WITH SQUEAKER OVER KINGS

(From PBA)

Air21 gained some ground again against Barako Energy Coffee in their battle for the last cut.

LeRoy Hickerson made two free throws with 11.7 seconds left then Billy Mamaril blocked a shot by Enrico Villanueva as Air21 nipped Barangay Ginebra, 98-97, to boost its wildcard bid in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.

“It’s tough getting the win which we needed so much. We wanted it badly to get some distance with Barako in our fight for the last slot in the wildcard round,” said Air21 coach Yeng Guiao.

“We’re keeping our attitude positive. We’re still very hopeful that if we make the wildcard, we’ll have a chance even against teams in the upper bracket,” Guiao added.

Avenging a similar one-point loss to the Kings in their previous tiff, the Express moved up to 4-13 -- a game behind the Sta. Lucia Realtors (5-12) and half-game in front of the Barako Energy Coffee Masters (3-13).

Air21 automatically lands in the wildcard round should Barako loses its last two games versus Talk n Text and B-MEG Derby Ace.

Hickerson exploded for 33 points and 10 rebounds and drew huge support ironically from two former Ginebra players in Mamaril and Doug Kramer as they dealt the Kings a crucial loss.

Rain or Shine (7-9) and Coca-Cola (7-9) stayed in the running for the top five as Ginebra suffered an eighth loss against nine wins.

Kramer came through with a career-high 17 points that went with 16 points while Mamaril got away with numerous key plays down the stretch.

Mamaril, acquired recently by Air21 for Mike Cortez, spiked a seven-point game with two blocks and a big rebound down the stretch.

A blot was two missed charities in the last 5.5 seconds allowing the Kings to have a last-gasp shot.

The Express eventually pulled through as Denham Brown missed a heave from midcourt at the buzzer.

It was a sorry loss for the Kings who took control most of the way behind the exploits of Mark Caguioa, Rudy Hatfield, Enrico Villanueva and Ronald Tubid.

After a long chase, the Express surged ahead at 96-95 on a three-point play by Hickerson off Caguioa with 2:15 left to play.

Ginebra regained the upper hand for the last time at 97-96 on a drive by Brown before Hickerson went to the stripe and knocked in the charities sending Air21 ahead to stay with 11.7 ticks left.

“You have to give it to coach Yeng. We have the same fighting attitude. He never quits and I never quit,” said Hickerson.

“We had some discussion with LeRoy before the game and it turned for the better. He’s got a different personality which may be good if we could harness or bad if not manage,” said Guiao. (SB)

The scores:

Air 21 98 - Hickerson 33, Kramer 16, Belga 11, Buenafe 9, Mamaril 7, Arboleda 7, Billones 5, Matias 4, Sharma 2, Gonzales 2, Ritualo 2, Williams 0, Alvarez 0.

Ginebra 97 - Caguioa 21, Hatfield 17, Villanueva 15, Tubid 14, Brown 11, Cortez 6, De Ocampo 5, Wilson 4, Miller 4, Intal 0, Helterbrand 0.

Quarters: 21-28, 52-57, 71-77, 98-97

ALASKA SURVIVES SLR’S 3-POINT BOMBS, KEEPS OUTRIGHT SEMIS BID ALIVE

(From PBA)

ALASKA survived an early bombardment from Sta. Lucia Realty to come out a 103-95 victor Sunday and keep alive its hopes of making it outright to the semifinals of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Aces remained poised despite the Realtors’ early surge to a 20-point lead, rallying behind Cyrus Baguio before having Diamon Simpson lead them home.

“We were shellshocked by the bombs they threw at us in the first quarter and a half,” admitted Aces coach Tim Cone, whose wards were barraged by 11 three-pointers by the Realtors in the first half alone. “It was like shock and awe out there. We couldn’t run for cover fast enough.

“But we told out players to keep playing beyond it, keep working, and hopefully some of their shots won’t fall in.”

Baguio sparkled in the second quarter, where he scattered 15 of his 23 points to bring the Aces back from 28-48 down to within 51-54 at halftime, before Simpson took over and eventually finished with a game-high 32 points on top of 10 rebounds.

“Parang ang nasa isip ko na lang gumawa ng paraan dahil malaki na ang lamang,” said Baguio, who made all his three attempts in the second period.

“Nu’ng pumasok ang mga tres ko, parang nagkakumpiyansa na ituloy-tuloy na,” he added.

The win was Alaska’s 11th in 17 games, putting it just half a game behind B-Meg Derby Ace, idle with an 11-5 slate.  The Aces can figure in a playoff for the outright semis berth should they win their last game against 12-5 San Miguel Beer and the Llamados drop one of their two remaining games.

Cone pointed out some of the scenarios happening are simply out of their hands and they could be content with their current automatic quarterfinals seat. “We can control how we play San Miguel, but we can’t control Derby Ace,” he said.

“We know it’s not all in our control, so our goal is to get the best scene we can and go from there, whether it be at third or fourth.”

Sta. Lucia dropped to a 5-12 card, its hopes of making the wildcard now hinging on winning its last game in the eliminations against Coca-Cola next week since both Air21 and Barako Energy Coffee, toting similar 3-13 records, can still catch the Realtors.

Anthony Johnson finished with a team-high 26 points an game-high 12 rebounds. But he had four of his six turnovers in the payoff period that helped fuel Alaska’s homeward surge.

The way SLR wound up its shooting from beyond the arc was vastly different from how it started the game and helped its downfall as it got beaten in both points in the paint (54-30), fastbreak points (25-8) and rebounds (48-39).

The Realtors made all but four of their first 15 triple tries before missing all but four of their last 13 attempts. (NC)

The scores:

Alaska 103 - Simpson 32, Baguio 23, De Vance 15, Hugnatan 11, Tenorio 6, Eman 5, Thoss 4, Dela Cruz 4, Cariaso 3, Burtscher 0.

Sta. Lucia 95 - Johnson 26, Urbiztondo 20, Peek 14, Menor 13, Escobal 6, Aljamal 6, Omolon 6, Ross 2, Custodio 2, Espinas 0, Aquino 0.

Quarterscores: 20-27, 51-54, 81-80, 103-95

WITH FREEMAN BACK, BEERMEN ARREST SKID

Team	W	L	PCT
Talk N Text	14	2	0.875
San Miguel	12	5	0.706
Derby Ace	10	5	0.667
Alaska	10	6	0.625
Ginebra	9	7	0.562
Coca-Cola	7	9	0.438
Rain or Shine	7	9	0.438
Sta. Lucia	5	11	0.312
Air21	3	13	0.188
Barako Energy Coffee	3	13	0.188

(From PBA)

Gabe Freeman is back, and San Miguel Beer is also back in hot pursuit of an outright berth in the PBA Fiesta Conference semifinal round.

Freeman returned from a two-game respite, injecting the Beermen tremendous energy and enthusiasm in a 99-86 spanking of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium Friday night.

Freeman and his teammates came out strong on both halves and held on to notch a first win in their last four games.

The prolific SMB import poured in a personal conference high of 30 points before fouling out with victory in the bag for the team with a minute left to play.

He also came through with 21 rebounds, two assists and one steal as the Beermen nailed the crucial victory that kept the team in the lead in the race for the second outright semis berth.

San Miguel moved up to 12-5 -- two games clear of closest pursuer B-MEG Derby Ace (10-5).

The Llamados and the Talk n Text Tropang Texters (the first outright semis qualifiers) meet in an equally important tiff in the penultimate leg of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour at the Tacloban Convention Center in Tacloban, Leyte Sunday.

The Elasto Painters blew hot and cold before eventually absorbing a third straight loss that sent them down to joint sixth with the Coca-Cola Tigers at 7-9.

Jai Lewis got 21 points, four rebounds and three assists in his farewell game in the league. He’s set to be replaced by former Ginebra import Rod Nealy.

“It’s a good win that got us out of a skid. It’s also a good win priming us up for a pivotal game versus Alaska Milk next Saturday,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

“It’s very evident that we got so much energy from Freeman. His return gave us another dimension in our game,” Tanquingcen added.

Freeman’s energy obviously rubbed off to his teammates.

Dondon Hontiveros fired five triples and wound up with 17 points, Jay Washington knocked in two treys and wound up with 15 points while Alex Cabagnot contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and the same number of assists.

The Beermen, beaten by the Coke Tigers and the TnT Tropang Texters in the absence of Freeman, came out smoking in the opening and third periods, leading by as many as 19 at 70-51.

The Elasto Painters, however, didn’t give up easily.

Lewis, Sol Mercado and Gabe Norwood teamed up in a fierce fightback that had Rain or Shine getting back in the thick of things at 73-75.

But San Miguel proved to have the staying power. (SB)

The scores:

San Miguel 99 - Freeman 30, Hontiveros 17, Washington 15, Cabagnot 12, Santos 9, Pennisi 6, Pena 5, Villanueva 3, Yeo 2, Miranda 0, Seigle 0, Ildefonso 0.

Rain or Shine 86 - Lewis 21, Mercado 21, Norwood 14, Tang 8, Arana 8, Chan 6, Telan 4, Cruz 2, Reyes 2, Arellano 0, Ibanes 0, Salangsang 0.

Quarters: 26-17, 46-42, 72-68, 99-86

REALTORS END LOSING SKEIN, GAIN PLAYOFF CRACK AT WILDCARD

(From PBA)

Sta. Lucia’s long, lonely losing spell in the post-Kelly Williams era is finally over.

The Realtors scored their very first win after trading away Williams and Ryan Reyes as they drubbed the Air21 Express, 113-91, Friday night in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Ali Peek, Yousif Aljamal and Pong Escobal, three of five players Sta. Lucia acquired in exchange for Williams, Reyes and Charles Waters, had their contributions as the Realtors checked a six-game slump and, in the process, assured themselves of a playoff for a slot in the wildcard plays.

The Realtors avoided tying the franchise's worst losing streak which they suffered at the start of the 1993 Commissioner's Cup.

They had lost their last six games by an average margin of 8.3 points -- a sorry skid happening after the departure of Williams and Reyes.

Peek collected 12 points, five rebounds and one block, Aljamal logged 11 points, three rebounds and one block while Escobal got eight points, two assists and one rebound to help SLR notch a fifth win in 16 games.

The Realtors secured a spot in the wildcards with one more win or one loss by either the Express (3-13) or the Barako Energy Coffee Masters (3-13).

SLR has Alaska Milk and Coca-Cola as last two assignments in the double-round-robin elimination phase.

“It’s been a while and I’m very happy for the boys with this win. Finally, we showed we can win,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

“It’s really hard to look at the team without Kelly and Ryan. After the trade, the next six games were really tough,” Fernandez added.

“Those six games were learning experience for us. We tried to find a solution, we made adjustments and I’m happy we finally won again.”

Returning from the halftime huddle smoking, the Realtors cut loose from a tight battle in the third quarter and roared on all the way to the finish.

LeRoy Hickerson, Air21’s prized find, had another explosive job with 37 points and 19 rebounds despite a hurting back but it was not enough to save the team from reeling back to the cellar.

The Realtors torched Hickerson and his teammates with a 72.2-percent shooting in the third quarter as they opened a 21-point spread which they stretched to as many as 33 in the final period.

Sta. Lucia finished with a 55-percent clip – the best for the franchise in the conference and second-highest overall -- as against Air21’s 36-percent shooting.

The Express, led by rookie Ramsey Williams career-high 10 points which he all scored in the first period, actually came out strong, fighting the Realtors through three deadlocks and 10 lead changes before their third-quarter meltdown.

They floundered with a 7-of-25 shooting in the third and failed to recover.

Anthony Johnson sizzled with 14 points in the third quarter and finished with 28 that went with eight rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal.

The prolific SLR import made a then career-high-tying 43 points as the Realtors outlasted the Express, 106-98, in overtime in their first encounter, a record he erased with a 45 in their previous game against Barako Coffee last Sunday which they lost 103-100.

“I’m very happy with this win which I hope change our outlook. Wildcard plays would be very tough but at least it gives you the chance to make the quarters,” said Fernandez.

“Actually, we’re not yet looking at the wildcard. At this point, we want just to see our weaknesses and strong points,” Fernandez added. (SB)

The scores:

Sta. Lucia 113 - Johnson 28, Peek 12,Aljamal 11, Ross 9, Urbiztondo 8,Escobal 8, Belano 8, Menor 7, Espinas 7, Omolon 6, Daa 5, Misolas 4.

Air21 91 - Hickerson 37, Buenafe 18,Williams 10, Sharma 10, Arboleda6, Ritualo 5, Matias 3, Belga 2, Rodriguez 0,Alvarez 0, Gonzales 0, Mamaril 0, Billones 0.

Quarterscores: 25-24, 52-49, 88-67, 113-91

COCA-COLA TRIPS GINEBRA IN NIGHT OF UNDERDOGS

(From PBA)

SUNDAY Salvacion got off what may arguably be the shot of the PBA Fiesta Conference.

Too bad it was not enough to prevent Coca-Cola from pulling off a 96-95 squeaker Sunday that stalled Barangay Ginebra's bid for a lofty goal at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Salvacion's last-second basket proved to be a point short of what the Kings needed, prompting a big sigh of relief from the Tigers after a thorough review by game officials.

Now, Coke made it hassle-free into the wildcard round following its improvement into a 6-9 win-loss slate.

Winning coach Bo Perasol maintains his team was just after improving its game in preparation for the playoffs.

“This is an insignificant win, because our focus is on the process to improve,” claimed Perasol, whose team needed to prevail in any of its last four games to formalize its entry into the wildcard but was placed into an uncertain situation with Barako Energy Coffee's 103-100 win over Sta. Lucia Realty earlier in the evening.

“Kasi, it will be very hard for us to think about sweeping our last four games, so we just concentrated on the process to improve, at saka na lang isipin ang wildcard,” he added.

Ginebra, on the other hand, was bidding for an outright semifinals bid hinged on it winning its last three elims games and both San Miguel Beer and B-Meg Derby Ace not getting to 13 wins.

With their seventh loss in 16 games, the Kings are left hoping they win over Air21 and B-Meg Derby Ace and San Miguel Beer, idle with an 11-4 card, does not get any more victories for the former to join early qualifier Talk N Text as automatic semifinalists.

It's not that Ginebra didn't have its chances Sunday after Asi Taulava's finger roll made it a 95-93 Coke lead, going into the last 49 seconds of play.

But Willie Miller and Mark Caguioa botched their offensive thrusts with a missed triple and an offensive foul, respectively.

After John Williamson's free throw made it a three-point game, Miller launched another trey that proved a tad strong.

Salvacion recovered the rebound, turned around and lofted in his shot. But it turned out it was a mere two-pointer.

Williamson wound up with 24 points and nine rebounds in his debut, with Gary David, Taulava and Mark Macapagal chipping in at least 11 points each. Taulava added a teamhigh 10 rebounds while Macapagal had five steals.

Caguioa paced Ginebra with 24 points, with Miller and Denham Brown making 21 and 20 points, respectively.

Brown also hauled down 16 rebounds, but he scored only eight points in the entire second half and was a non-factor offensively when Coke launched a third quarter assault that wiped out Ginebra's 59-52 lead.

Miller shone most in the fourth quarter with 11 of his points but those still did not prevent the Tigers from taking a 91-87 lead, on Paolo Mendoza's trey, still 2:43 left.

Then Caguioa strung up four straight points that tied it up at 91 and set up the tight finish.

The scores:

Coca-Cola 96 - Williamson 24, David 16, Taulava 15, Macapagal 11, Mendoza 9, Rizada 6, Allera 5, Rodriguez 4, Espino 4, Cruz 2, Gonzales 0, Antonio 0.

Ginebra 95 - Caguioa 24, Miller 21, Brown 20, de Ocampo 10, Villanueva 5, Helterbrand 5,Cortez 3, Hatfield 3, Wilson 2, Salvacion 2, intal 0, Cruz 0, Tubid 0.

BARAKO COFFEE REPEATS OVER STA. LUCIA TO END STREAK, STAY ALIVE

(From PBA)

THERE'S still life for Barako Energy Coffee.

The Energy Coffee Masters came up with the needed defensive stops in the endgame to emerge a 103-100 winner over the struggling Sta. Lucia Realtors Sunday and keep alive their hopes of making the wildcard round of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Sammy Monroe finished with a personal conference-high 41 points, which may slightly pale to Anthony Johnson's own PBA career-high 45. But the former had one of the two blocks Barako Coffee pulled off inside the last minute that enabled it to notch the much-needed win.

Rob Reyes accounted for the other swat and Paolo Hubalde drew a crucial charge, before the entire Barako team played lock-down defense in the last 25 seconds that prevented SLR from overcoming a 102-100 edge on Aris Dimaunahan's three-point play.

After the game, five wins are needed to tie for ninth place and the last wildcard berth and the Coffee Masters hope to improve on their current 3-13 win-loss slate when they wind up their elimination round assignments against Talk N Text and B-Meg Derby Ace.

“As of now, short-term goals lang kami,” said Barako coach Junel Baculi. “Our last two games are very, very tough opponents but let's see what we can do.”

The loss was Sta. Lucia's sixth straight, keeping it at eighth with a 4-11 slate and in danger of figuring in a possible playoff for a wildcard spot, with games against Air21, Alaska and Coca-Cola coming up.

The hope, however, remains positively there for the team that now trails ninth-running Air21 (3-12) by just half a game.

“We need to win those games. Pero kahit mukhang mahirap we will be there trying,” said Baculi. “”We'll just try and keep the game close and see what happens.”

Johnson added 15 rebounds, but his efforts started getting flushed when his bid to add on to SLR's 100-99 lead through a two-handed dunk was foiled by Reyes.

Reed Juntilla muffed a lean-in jumper, but SLR's Ogie Menor shrugged off discretion and, instead of waiting for his teammates and set up a play, went for a drive that was foiled by Monroe, leading to Dimaunahan's go-ahead drive and charity off Pong Escobal.

Monroe's own free throw following Gabby Espinas' charge made it a three-point game that stood after the Coffee Masters' team defense prevented the Realtors from making anything out of two inbound plays inside the last 4.3 seconds, even turning the ball over in the last four-tenths of a second.

Local support proved to be a very major factor, notably Mark Isip, who doubled his conference high with a season-best 22 points, including eight in the final period that helped Barako overcome a 93-99 deficit in the last 3:29 of play.

“I'm always challenging them. Me ibubuga sila,” maintained Baculi. “It’s just a matter of giving them confidence, showing them how to deliver at crunchtime. They're responding now.”

Menor and Paul Escobal each had at least 10 points while Nic Belasco had 14 rebounds and Espinas wound up with six of his seven boards off the offensive glass in the second half that helped SLR overcome a 44-57 third quarter deficit.

But when it came to the crunch, the Realtors locals unabashedly kept looking for Johnson that proved the most successful when he went 5-of-5 from beyond the arc and powered the team to a 77-74 lead going into the final 12 minutes. (NC)

The scores:

Barako Coffee 103 - Monroe 41, Isip 22, Juntilla 11, Dimaunahan 8, Hubalde 7, Gaco 4, Reyes 4, Vergara 2, Alonzo 2, Coronel 2, Najorda 0.

Sta. Lucia 100 - Johnson 45, Menor 12, Escobal 10, Urbiztondo 8, Espinas 8, Custodio 5, Misolas 4, Belasco 3, Omolon 2, Peek 2, Daa 1, Ross 0, Aquino 0.

Quarterscores: 25-21, 52-44, 74-77, 103-100