SAN MIG COFFEE STILL AT IT
No championship hangover. No first-game jitters.
Governors’ Cup and Philippine Cup titleholder San Mig Super Coffee was mean in its first game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, battering GlobalPort, 91-75, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
The Mixers struggled a bit just in the opening quarter, building momentum in the second period and sustaining the heat to the finish for a winning start in their bid for a hat-trick.
“We’re a little different this time around from last conference as we came back injury free. And the guys enjoyed the break that we had,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.
“The key right now is really our second group. We talked to our first group – James, Ping, PJ and Joe. We told them ‘we’ve got to keep you out of the game as much as possible.’ That’s our goal – try not to overplay them,” Cone also said.
Ian Sangalang and Mark Barroca were up to the task at hand, playing key roles as San Mig won its tournament debut and dealt GlobalPort a third straight defeat.
Sangalang and Barroca came out strong in the second quarter and import James Mays picked up his game in the same period, forming a three-pronged attack that carried San Mig to a 47-32 lead at the half.
And it was all a San Mig show to the very end.
Mays himself didn’t need to play extended minutes with the Mixers playing a solid all around game together.
“We have a high-energy import. He had his moment in this game but you’ve not seen the best of him yet,” said Cone of the former Clemson U standout.
Mayes put in just enough effort in his PBA debut, logging 15 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block in 32 minutes of action.
Sangalang topscored with 16 points, Marc Pingris came through with double-double numbers with 13 points and 12 rebounds while Barroca, PJ Simon and James Yap combined for 31 markers.
Sangalang, Barroca and Mays put together 28 points as the Mixers pounded the Batang Pier, 31-12, in the second canto.
The Mixers shrugged off a struggling first quarter, converting 75 percent of their shots in the second period.
The Batang Pier, meanwhile, blew a solid opening period as they limped with 4-of-18 field shooting in the second frame.
Sangalang went 5-of-5 from the field and added a charity while Barroca was perfect with 1-of-1 three-pointer, 1-of-1 twinner and 2-of-2 foul shots to spearhead San Mig’s key second-quarter turnaround. (SB)
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