GlobalPort clinches 1st win
Morales, Prado, Gorospe top elite road race
Game Today (San Agustin Gym, Iloilo City) 5 p.m. – San Miguel vs TNT KaTropa
Stanley Pringle was finally rewarded for the huge task of having to carry the offensive cudgels in the absence of backcourt partner Terrence Romeo, unloading 29 points in GlobalPort’s 78-70 victory over Rain or Shine last night that snapped a 0-2 start in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Entering the game averaging a league-best 28 points, Pringle had 20 in the first half before recovering from a scoreless third to make nine in the payoff period that enabled the Batang Pier to weather several Elasto Painters rallies and secure their first win.
Pringle made half of his 24 attempts while grabbing nine rebounds in 37 minutes for GlobalPort, which is hoping to be as competitive as it can with Romeo out with a knee contusion.
The Batang Pier also dealt with having to give up a league-worst 109 points in losses to the NLEX Road Warriors and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Coach Pido Jarencio understandably was pleased to see the Elasto Painters scoring the lowest point output by a team early in the conference.
“Pinag-usapan namin ng mga players na we have to consider na dapat dumipensa kami,” said Jarencio. “Tonight (last night), we played good defense, below 80 points lang sila at na-hit namin target namin and at the same time lahat tumulong.
“At least ngayon, we finished stronger, di lang kami pang-third quarter or 45 minutes na good basketball and pagdating ng last three minutes bumibigay,” added Jarencio, whose saw his team blew a nine-point third quarter lead in Sunday’s 104-97 defeat to Ginebra.
Sean Anthony, who had 29 points in that game, was limited to just three points but had an unusual double-double of 13 rebounds and 12 assists while adding four steals. League-leading rebounder Kelly Nabong hauled down 13 aside from scoring 12 points and Brad Guinto registered 10 points and nine boards.
Gabe Norwood finished with 15 points and Mark Borboran made 13 but the Elasto Painters dropped their second straight contest after starting the conference with n 84-81 win over TNT KaTropa last Dec. 22.
Meanwhile, defending champion San Miguel shoots for its third straight victory today against TNT KaTropa in the league’s first out-oftown game at the San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City.
The Beermen are hoping that the 17-day break will serve as an advantage rather than a hindrance in the 5 p.m. match with the KaTropa, who are also coming off a long break.
San Miguel won its first two games but almost blew a 22-point second quarter lead in the 103-97 triumph over Meralco last Dec. 27 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Jan Paul Morales won a sprint finish against Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado won pulling away to rule the Philippine National Cycling Championships for Road over a technical and treacherous route yesterday in Subic and Bataan.
A total of 96 riders answered the gun for the men’s elite race of the PhilCycling but it was Morales, a many-time national team member who emerged as one of the biggest winners of the event that awarded the coveted national champions’ jerseys to the victors.
“I really went for the win but I had to work hard for this one,” said Morales moments after his victory that earned him not only 150,000 in cash from organizer Pru Life UK but also an all-expense paid trip to the Prudential Ride London in July.
Morales clocked three hours, 42 minutes and 55 seconds—same time as Oranza—over the 137-km course that included a treacherous climb to the Dambana ng Mga Bayani at Mt. Samat in Mariveles, Bataan.
Felipe Marcelo and Jonel Carcueva figured in a race incident close to the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center finish and shared third place in one of the races that highlight the PRUride PH 2018. Oranza brought home 125,000 while Marcelo and Carcueva shared the third and fourth place prizes of 115,000 and 112,500, respectively.
Also earning tickets to London and 150,000 each were Prado and Men Under 23 winner Ismael Gorospe.
Prado clocked 3:26:00 to win gold in the 96.55-km women elite race, beating by more than two miniutes Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ting Ting and by over five minutes Arianne Dormitorio.
Two-time Asean mountain bike champion Dormitorio was almost successful in her first foray with the road discipline but crashed against the strong cross winds inside Subic. Chang also banked 125,000 and 112,500, respectively.
Gorospe won the Men Under 23 jewel in 3:45:40 over the same course at the elite race. Danielver Carinon and Ronilla Quita completed the podium.