BARAKO BULL POSTS HUGE COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN OVER GLOBALPORT
SOMETIMES, it’s better to be lucky than good and Barako Bull just proved that.
The Energy rode the able back of Mike Singletary for a big fourth quarter surge before the locals took over for a come-from-behind 98-97 cliffhanger over the Batang Pier Sunday in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Singletary outgunned Globalport counterpart Markeith Cummings by scoring a personal PBA high 43 points and got plenty of help from Danny Seigle in highlighting Barako’s fightback from the depths of an 18-point third quarter deficit.
Mark Macapagal and Emman Monfort also did their share with a triple and two charities, respectively, with the last giving the Energy a 98-95 lead.
After Jay Washington’s layup made it a one-point game, Globalport had the chance to salvage the game when Singletary missed a harried three-pointer.
But the Batang Pier failed to call a timeout after Cummings had rebounded the ball and Sol Mercado’s desperate heave from way out banked too hard and out as the final buzzer sounded.
“I have to admit we were lucky today,” said Energy active consultant Rajko Toroman after his team notched its fourth win in six games, tying it with idle Meralco just behind idle 5-1 leader Petron Blaze.
“It was very difficult to stay in the game with only one offensive player through three quarters. But we didn’t stop to play and finally I found the best five. We were just lucky and we won with a big heart.”
Cummings also had a personal PBA high 40 points and Mercado 16 points and seven assists but Globalport still absorbed its third straight loss and dropped to a 2-4 slate overall.
Gary David’s three-pointer capped an 11-point performance and gave Globalport a 90-87 lead, while Yousif Taha notched a first career double -double and personal highs of 10 points and 13 rebounds, with his follow-up making it a 92-90 game.
Simply put, Barako Bull would not be denied.
Singletary, who also had 12 rebounds, canned two charities before Macapagal’s wide open trey from the right corner gave Barako Bull the upper hand for good, 96-94, 1:55 to go.
The ending was in stark contrast from the one expected by most after Globalport rode the 10 points of Cummings in the first seven minutes of the third period to take a 75-57 lead and went into the final 12 minutes of play with a 83-68 spread.
Then Singletary and Seigle took charge during an 18-2 surge to start off the payoff canto, tying the game up at 85 and paving the way for the tight finish.
Enrico Villanueva, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Philippine Cup, finally saw action and so did newly reactivated teammate Wesley Gonzales, as well as Globalport’s Hans Thiele.
Villanueva was fielded only in the first five minutes of the third period and scored two points off charities.
“It is good to have Rico back, have him get a feel of the game again,” said Toroman.
Globalport seemed well in control starting in the first half and with a little help from Barako Bull itself.
Energy playmakers Celino Cruz and Monfort were forced to sit down just 16 seconds apart after each committed a flagrant foul-penalty 1s, inadvertently stoking the Batang Pier’s surge to a 37-27 lead in the second period.
Cruz was called for holding on to the jersey of a driving Cummings while Monfort was slapped his F1 for a hard hit on a driving AJ Mandani in the Batang Pier’s very next play. The two offended parties converted their reswpective charities and their team capped their surge from a 31-27 count.
The Energy’s third-string point guard, Sean Weinstein, also inadvertently planted an elbow on the nose of Mercado, but the incident was only caught by a few and on video replays.
Mercado countered by scoring six of Globalport’s last six points of the period for a 55-43 lead at the turn. (NC)
The scores:
Barako Bull 98 – Singletary 43, Macapagal 11, Seigle 10, Buenafe 9, Intal 7, Pennisi 5, Pena 5, Monfort 4, Cruz 2, Villanueva 2, Jensen 0, Weinstein 0, Gonzales 0.
Globalport 97 – Cummings 40, Mercado 16, David 11, Taha 10, Washington 9, Belencion 4, Miller 3, Mandani 2, Salvador 2, Hayes 0, Thiele 0.
Quarterscores: 23-27, 43-55, 68-83, 98-97
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