Barako Bull stays perfect
The Barako Bull Energy continued to remain the last undefeated team left standing in the PBA Governors’ Cup after finding a way to get past a tough Meralco side, 105-99, on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Joseph Yeo exploded for 28 points, including five threepointers, and a team-high six assists despite coming from off the bench while import Liam McMorrow shrugged off some foul trouble to finish with 19 points and 23 rebounds.
RR Garcia scored 14 points while Justin Chua and Jake Pascual added 12 apiece.
Barako Bull improved to a league-best 4-0 record to open the conference while dropping Meralco, which got 32 points from import Andre Emmett, to 2-3.
Barako Bull got off to a slow start in the game as rampaging Meralco got off to a 31-12 start in the first quarter. Thethe heroicsthein the deficitgame Energy openingfrom with thanks managedYeo, period.1:16 to who remainingto some contain entered late last before He five sinkingscored points Barako back-to-backof the periodBull’s three-pointerstally 11 points in in the about second four to minutes of play as he helped the team come back to within 11 points. The Bolts pushed the lead back up to 15 though a late rally from the Energy cut it back down to 11, 52-41, at the halftime break. McMorrow led Barako Bull with 14 points while Yeo had 13 at the break.
The Energy made their move in the third, with their defense and transition game on point in the period. Led by Garcia and Chua, who each had eight in the quarter, they chipped away at the Bolts’ advantage and eventually took the lead on a 6-0 run on baskets from Yeo, Garcia and JC Intal, 68-64.
Yeo then took over again in the fourth quarter, where he scored 11 of his total. He knocked down two triples early and eventually made two free throws in the final minute that gave the Energy a 105-99 advantage with 36 seconds left.
Intal and Dylan Ababou, who each averaged doublefigure scoring in the team’s first three games, combined for just seven in this one but it didn’t matter too much with several others picking up the slack.—