Do-it-all Romeo powers GPort
Terrence Romeo produced an all-around game uncharacteristic of a pure shooter, coming through with 27 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal as GlobalPort rapped Meralco, 97-89, to boost its playoff bid in the PBA Philippine Cup at the MOA Arena last night.
Leading the tourney both in scoring and in assists through the first half of the elims, Romeo sustained his hot pace in yet another explosive performance that powered the Batang Pier to a fourth win against three losses.
Later in the night, San Miguel Beer overwhelmed Blackwater with a sharp, lethal form from a nine-day breather, pulling off a 118-93 rout to boost its front-running position in the race for the Top Two.
Practically all the SMB players came out ready to play and ready to score, including Alex Cabagnot with his face mask made in time for the game.
June Mar Fajardo, Gabby Espinas, Marcio Lassiter and Cabagnot spearheaded an explosive game carrying the Beermen to an outright playoff entry with a sixth win in seven outings.
Romeo was on the loose early on, scoring heavily with the game on the line as the Batang Pier avoided the fate suffered at the hands of the Phoenix Fuel Masters the last time when they blew a huge 26-point lead and lost.
“We needed this win badly after our bad experience in our last game,” said GlobalPort coach Franz Pumaren.
“When Meralco rallied and got back in the game, we stuck together and played within our system unlike the last time,” Pumaren also said.
“With the win, we’re at least right behind the second placer.”
Meralco failed to keep the fire of a fightback from 16 points down and went deeper down the chart at 2-5 – a game and a half adrift the eighth placer.
Meanwhile, TNT KaTropa tries to bolt out of a two-way tie at second with Rain or Shine as it takes on cellardweller NLEX at the resumption of the Petron Blaze Saturday road series over in Angeles City, Pampanga tonight.
The Texters have won four of their last five games, rolling past Barangay Ginebra, Blackwater, Phoenix and Alaska Milk to be right behind the front-running San Miguel Beer squad.
Billy Mamaril, Stanley Pringle, KG Canaleta and back-ups Mike Cortez, JR Quiñahan and Aaron Aban also churned out all-around numbers, speaking well of a sound system the Batang Pier have been playing under Pumaren.
The Batang Pier went through a dry spell that the Bolts pounced on to get to within a point at 71-72 at the end of the third period. The scores First Game GlobalPort 97 – Romeo 27, Canaleta 13, Mamaril 12, Cortez 12, Quiñahan 11, Pringle 9, Aban 9, Mierhofer 2, Paredes 2, Banal 0, Urbiztondo 0, Pessumal 0.
Meralco 89 – Hugnatan 23, Grey 18, Newsome 16, Hodge 12, Daquioag 12, Buenafe 3, Faundo 2, Caram 2, Amer 1, Uyloan 0, Nabong 0, Ferriols 0. Quarterscores: 26-19, 51-41, 72-71, 97-89 Second Game SAN MIGUEL 118 – Fajardo 25, Espinas 22, Cabagnot 14, Lassiter 14, Santos 8, Reyes 8, Tubid 8, Van Opstal 6, Ross 4, Garcia 4, Agovida 3, Heruela 2, McCarthy 0, Mabulac 0.
BLACKWATER 93 – Dela Cruz 16, Aguilar 15, Pinto 12, Sumang 11, Buenafe 10, Forrester 7, Sena 6, Cervantes 4, Pascual 4, Belo 4, Miranda 2, Melano 2, Ababou 0, Banal 0.
Quarterscores: 37-21, 65-40, 91-66, 118-93