GLOBALPORT TOO MUCH FOR BARAKO BULL
GLOBALPORT’s decision to have Calvin Warner replace CJ Leslie as import now has a good result.
With Warner providing the inside presence and the locals stepping up in a big way, the Batang Pier negated Solomon Alabi’s monster game for a 99-81 victory over Barako Bull Wednesday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle and Mark Isip lent big hands to Warner as GlobalPort took full control from the third quarter on to bounce back from a sorry 84-86 defeat to Meralco last Sunday and improve its win-loss record to an even 3-3.
Winning head coach Eric Gonzales said his charges took to heart the lessons learned from the loss to the Bolts.
“Nag-respond sila,” he said. “Malaking lesson iyung Meralco game sa amin, not only to start strong but to finish well.”
Warner saw to it by taking charge in the fourth period, where he scored 12 of his 23 points with Romeo adding six of his team-high 24.
“His maturity, being a veteran import, helps us in our immaturity,” noted Gonzales of the 34-year-old Warner, who also had 19 rebounds, four assists and as many steals in almost a no-relief job.
“For now we need an inside presence who is mature that can help the team get better,” added Gonzales. “Talagang medyo nag-dra-drag lang kami kasi di kami sanay sa may inside presence. We’re trying to balance the inside and outside game of the team.”
The same cannot be said of Barako Bull.
In his finest game yet the 7-foot-1 Alabi notched 37 points and a league conference-high 28 rebounds, but even those could not prevent the Energy from absorbing their second straight loss after a 3-0 start in the conference.
Carlo Lastimosa’s 12 points and Chico Lanete’s 11 were the only major support to Barako Bull’s Nigerian-born import and the team completely fell apart in the last 1:02 of the game.
The Energy went on a fouling spree to stop the clock and perhaps at least trim an 80-89 deficit. But that backfired as the Batang Pier went 10-for-10 from the stripe.
Also of tremendous help were Pringle, who had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Isip, who went into the game averaging just 5.0 points but finished with 14 points and seven boards while anchoring the defense on Alabi.
As a team GlobalPort made38 of 80 field goal attempts compared to Barako’s 34-for-87 clip while the Batang Pier’s defensive efforts resulted in 11 steals and forced the Energy to commit 22 turnovers.
All those combined to spell Barako’s downfall as early as the third quarter, when Warner, Isip and Pringle joined hands in an 11-0 attack that gave GlobalPort its first sizable lead at 59-49.
Behind Alabi, Jake Pascual and Lastimosa the Energy managed to trim the deficit to just four points at the end of the third period and were still within 64-68 when their shooting woes caught up with them just as Warner fully got going.
For his part, Romeo, the league’s leading local scorer, was at his hottest during the second quarter that saw him exploding for 15 of his points that brought GlobalPort back from the depths of a 17-27 deficit and into a 45-44 halftime lead. (NC)
The scores:
GLOBALPORT 99 – Romeo 24, Warner 23, Pringle 14, Isip 14, Buenafe 7, Jensen 7, Miranda 4, Semerad 4, Caperal 2, Taha 0, Ponferada 0, Pinto 0, Nbong 0, Baclao 0, De Ocampo 0.
BARAKO BULL 81 – Alabi 37, Lastimosa 12, Lanete 11, Pascual 6, Garcia 5, Intal 4, Chua 2, Matias 2, Hubalde 2, Salvador 0, Mercado 0, Marcelo 0, Salva 0, Paredes 0, Sorongon 0.
Quarterscores: 17-27, 45-44, 66-62, 99-81
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