SAN MIGUEL BEER ROUTS GLOBALPORT, RECLAIMS SHARE OF LEAD
San Miguel Beer extended its winning run to four with a 95-69 victory against GlobalPort on Tuesday in the 2014-2015 PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The win improved the Beermen’s record to 7-1, allowing them to grab a share of first place in the standings with Alaska.
Arwind Santos anchored San Miguel Beer’s breakaway when the Beermen unleashed a killer 19-0 run in the second quarter en route to a 35-point period and a 27-point halftime lead, 56-29.
San Miguel Beer’s lead would balloon to as big as 29 numerous times in the second half.
The 2013 MVP had 11 of his 19 points in that second quarter, to go with his six rebounds, while reigning league MVP June Mar Fajardo added a double-double in tune of his 17 markers and 13 boards, his conference-leading eighth in as many games, to lead the Beermen to victory.
Chris Ross and Ronald Tubid both scored 12 points apiece, whole Chris Lutz and Jeric Fortuna combined for 20 in the game.
“I think out of our eight games, this is the best game we had,” said San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria. “We never expected that we’ll have a big lead at the start. Maybe because of our intention to get to the Top 2. And GlobalPort is coming off of a road trip, they were not able to have good preparation against us. I think that’s a factor in today’s game.”
The win placed the Beermen on a better position to snare one of the two coveted automatic semifinal spots which comes with finishing in the Top 2 at the end of the single round-robin eliminations.
“I told the players that we need to win at least three of last four games. We have big hurdles ahead of us,” added Austria, whose team pounced GlobalPort from the outside, shooting 10-of-19 on their threes.
Mark Isip led the Batang Pier with 12 points and 12 rebounds, as GlobalPort fell to 4-5, even as Stanley Pringle and Keith Jensen both had 11. (RL)
The scores:
San Miguel Beer 95 – Santos 19, Fajardo 17, Ross 12, Tubid 12, Lutz 10, Fortuna 10, Pascual 8, Mercado 3, Maierhofer 2, Kramer 2, Omolon 0, Semerad 0, Chua 0.
GlobalPort 69 – Isip 12, Pringle 11, Jensen 11, Cabagnot 10, Romeo 7, Baclao 6, De Ocampo 6, Pinto 2, Caperal 2, Buenafe 2, Taha 0, Ponferada 0, Nabong 0.
Quarterscores: 21-17, 56-29, 77-52, 95-69.
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