TALK ‘N TEXT STARTS FOUR-PEAT QUEST BY BEATING MERALCO IN CEBU
CEBU CITY. – Talk ‘N Text bucked a slow start to begin its quest for a four-peat with an 89-80 win over Meralco at the New Cebu Coliseum here Sunday, one of a historic three season opening day games in the 2014 PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup.
Four players scored in double figures for the Tropang Texters led by the 20 points of last year’s Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference Jayson Castro.
New TNT recruits hometown rookie Eliud Poligrates and Nonoy Baclao added 15 and 12 points, respectively while comebacking Kelly Williams had 10 in the win which continued Talk ‘N Text’s mastery of the Bolts in the all-Filipino conference.
Since Meralco entered the league four seasons ago, it was the Bolts’ fifth straight loss in the Philippine Cup against Talk ‘N Text , the only team it has not beaten in the said tourney.
It was also the tenth straight year the three-time defending champion Tropang Texters, the most dominant all-Filipino team this past decade, started the season with a win.
TNT won despite missing the services of Ranidel de Ocampo who sat out the game because of a right calf muscle strain.
Meralco, which was led by the 26 points of Gary David, started the game on the high note, racing to a 10-2 start on the heroics of David and Cliff Hodge.
But Castro and Poligrates sparked an 18-10 fightback by Talk ‘N Text which enabled them to get back in the game and even the count at 20-all, 2:41 left before the first period ended.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Tropang Texters were down 66-64 when Williams and Poligrates spearheaded a 17-4 run which gave them their biggest lead of the game 81-70.
Meralco, whose only other double digit scorer was Jared Dillinger (11), came no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
It was the third time in four seasons the Bolts started its campaign with a loss. (FM)
The scores:
Talk ‘N Text 89 – Castro 20, Poligrates 15, Baclao 12, Williams 10, Alapag 8, Carey 6, Fonacier 6, Peek 6, Aban 4, Anthony 2, Ferriols 0.
Meralco 80 – David 26, Dillinger 11, Hodge 9, Cortez 8, Hugnatan 7, Al-Hussaini 7, Salvacion 6, Wilson 2, Allado 2, Artadi 2.
Quarterscores: 24-23, 42-42, 64-66, 89-80.
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