TEXTERS WARY OF BATANG PIER
Talk n Text is at 4-2 and Globalport at 3-3. It could have been the other way around as the Tropang Texters narrowly escaped with a win while the Batang Pier were narrowly beaten in their last outing.
Both trying to stay right behind the tournament leaders, the two teams could well be in for a tough duel Tuesday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
They play at 7 p.m. with the Texters looking to gain a piece of third place with the Barangay Ginebra Kings and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters while the Batang Pier are out to catch up with Tropa at fifth place at 4-3.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao has observed how GlobalPort has improved in this conference.
“I thought Globalport pushed us hard to the end. We had a 13-point lead at the half but they caught up then raced ahead in a short time. This team is rising up, giving the veteran teams a hard time,” said Guiao after they barely squeezed through with an 86-83 win over the Batang Pier.
Before that defeat, coach Pido Jarencio and his troops had won three of their last four assignments.
Talk n Text coach Jong Uichico himself is wary of GlobalPort, saying they need to neutralize in particular Alex Cabagnot and Stanley Pringle.
Jarencio, meanwhile, admits they need more maturity. “We need to improve on how to take care of our leads,” he said.
The Batang Pier were in control at 70-63 before Jeff Chan scored 12 points to spark an RoS turnaround leading to their stirring three-point win.
For his team, Uichico wants more consistency.
After two blowout wins, Talk n Text needed a strong finishing kick to turn back Meralco, 80-72, last Tuesday.
Harvey Carey joined forces with Gilas mainstays Ranidel de Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and former Gilas cadet player Matt Ganuelas in an endgame flurry giving the Tropang Texters a third straight win following back-to-back routs of Rain or Shine and Kia.
“Long way to go and still lots of work to be done,” said Uichico. (SB)
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