Breakthrough victory for Alab Pilipinas

Tanduay Alab Pilipinas finally notched its first victory after an alarming 0-3 start yesterday when it pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Formosa Dreamers, 78-61, at the Changhua Stadium in Taiwan.

World import Reggie Okosa delivered 19 points and 19 rebounds while Ray Parks Jr. and Josh Urbiztondo added 12 points apiece as Alab barged into the win column by ending the worst start of any Filipino team in the regional league.

Alab’s win came three days after absorbing a painful 99-96 loss to defending champion Hong Kong Eastern, a game that saw coach Jimmy Alapag and company squander a 10-point third quarter lead.

Okosa was forced to carry the bulk of the production after Alab elected not to field its other world import Ivan Johnson for undisclosed reasons.

Johnson had 32 points against Hong Kong in the previous game, but a technical foul late in that contest became one of the factors in Alab’s eventual defeat.

Even without Johnson, Alab got key contributions from former PBA veterans Dondon Hontiveros and Rico Maierhofer with seven points apiece while Fil-American forward Lawrence Domingo hauled down eight rebounds.

Parks also contributed 10 rebounds and three assists while Urbiztondo had six rebounds and seven assists.

Former Saigon Heat world import Lenny Daniel finished with 19 points and eight rebounds but the Dreamers lost their first home game and tied Alab for sixth place at 1-3.

Fellow world import Jaleel Cousins, brother of NBA star DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans, added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Dreamers.