GLOBALPORT SURPRISES ALASKA FOR FIRST WIN
GlobalPort survived an endgame scare from Alaska to come away with a 95-91 victory Friday in the 2014 PLDT Home Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Leroy Hickerson registered a double-double for the Batang Pier with 25 points and 15 rebounds, to go with three assists, and four steals for GlobalPort’s first win of the conference and pull the team on an even 1-1 slate.
GlobalPort has also already matched its one-win total in the previous conference, the team’s first under head coach Pido Jarencio, to even their slate at 1-1, the same record as the Aces.
Alex Cabagnot finished with 24 points, while Terrence Romeo scored 18 markers in his first game since returning from a back injury and Jay Washington aknocked down 13.
“I give credit to the boys especially yung mga beteranong players namin. Talagang gusto nilang manalo,” said Jarencio, as the Batang Pier stepped on the pedal from the get-go to outscore Alaska, 20-3 in fastbreak points.
“Actually yung game namin against Ginebra, yung first game namin, parang ganito na eh. Pero nung second half, medyo bumigay kami, not like ngayon na naging consistent kami all the way. Medyo nag-miss lang ng free throws. May pondo na naman, lamang na ng six points (in the last 20 seconds),” he added, the early part of his statement referring to an 89-71 rout at the hands of the Kings last Tuesday.
After feeling its way early in the game, GlobalPort widened its gap to 17, 53-36, early in the third quarter, but Alaska slowly made its way back to the game and got to as close as four, 77-73, halfway in the fourth.
With GlobalPort leading by 11, 89-78 with two minutes to play, William Henry Walker revived the Aces with four straight points and kept Alaska’s comeback bid alive.
Calvin Abueva then joined the party as he narrowed the gap to just five, 93-88, with 20.9 ticks remaining.
Romeo split his freebies and Walker nailed a trey from way beyond the three-point arc to close in at 94-91 with 11.8 left.
With eight seconds remaining, Jay Washington missed his free throws in the ensuing possession, but the ball was hauled down by Hickerson, setting up Cabagnot’s split from the line to ice the game for the Batang Pier.
“Good start ‘to para sa amin,” Jarencio said. “At least, tied na kami sa nagawa namin last conference. May isang panalo na, at pero meron pang seven games.”
It was actually the Batang Pier’s fourth win over the Aces in their last five meetings dating back to last season’s Governors Cup.
Walker almost had a triple-double again for Alaska with 22 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, while JVee Casio had 16 markers on a 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Gabby Espinas and Abueva both wound up with 14 points.(RL)
The scores: (Click HERE for full boxscores)
GLOBALPORT 95 – Hickerson 25, Cabagnot 24, Romeo 18, Washington 13, Garcia 8, Ponferada 4, Macapagal 2, Matias 1, Taha 0, Menk 0, Hayes 0, Salvador 0.
ALASKA 91 – Walker 22, Casio 16, Espinas 14, Abueva 14, Baguio 8, Jazul 6, Hontiveros 5, Manuel 4, Thoss 2.
Quarterscores: 24-22, 48-34, 66-62, 95-91.
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