Barroca sets good example to teammates

AS one of the few remaining holdovers of the 2014 PBA Grand Slam champion team, Magnolia’s veteran guard Mark Barroca has been setting a good example for the Hotshots all season long.

The 37-year-old guard from Zamboanga City entered the Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup Finals with six league titles and a loaded pro basketball resume.

But he is not yet done.

In fact, Barroca knows they have the capability to end a six-year title drought even though the Hotshots entered the ongoing title series as the underdogs.

Magnolia got its back kicked in the first two games of the best-ofseven title series, before putting on a solid defensive performance that allowed the Purefoods franchise to finally punch in its first victory in the Finals via an 88-80 triumph in Game 3.

“Our mentality is that our backs are against the wall, because you know that if your back is against the way, you will not just try to shoot your way for the win, you will also play defense, which has always been the identity of the team,” Barroca said, who led Magnolia with 20 points, six assists, four rebounds in two steals in the team’s confidencebuilding Game 3 victory.

The former Far Eastern University standout admitted that the team’s offense always flows from its defense.

Magnolia’s airtight defense stifled San Miguel’s menacing offense, holding the Beermen to just 34.1 percent shooting from the floor.

More importantly, the Hotshots’ swarming defense limited the Beermen to just 7-of-36 from the three-point zone.

Bennie Boatwright, San Miguel’s sweet-shooting import, led his team with 28 points, but he had to bleed for every basket as he shot an anemic 10-of-28 from the floor and 4-of-13 from deep.

But then again, Barroca knows they haven’t accomplished anything by winning Game 3.

“As coach (Chito Victolero) said, there’s nothing to celebrate yet. This is just one win and our opponent is strong. We can’t be too high and not too low, too. We just have to regroup and be prepared for Friday,” he added.