Depleted Ginebra bows to TNT - March 30, 2007

By JAY R. GOTERA

The Saudi Gazette

MANILA

A BADLY undermanned Barangay Ginebra squad put up a fierce fight before bowing to Talk ‘N Text, 99-92, Friday night in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Already without the services of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand who are on loan to the Philippine national basketball team, Ginebra lost two more vital cogs as Rudy Hatfield suddenly left the team for the United States and Johnny Abarrientos sat out the game due to injury.

Though decimated, Barangay Ginebra put up a brave front but could not match the energy and firepower of the Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals as the Kings suffered their second loss in the conference.

J.J. Sullinger, Mark Cardona and Egay Billones carried the fight for the Phone Pals who registered their third victory in six games.

Sullinger was in his usual deadly form, leading the Pals with 31 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block.

Ginebra’s Rod Nealy also had solid numbers with 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, but the Kings sorely missed the services of Hatfield and Abarrientos.

Hatfield has taken an indefinite leave of absence to sort out personal

problem in the United States while Abarrientos suffered a still unclear injury.

Nonetheless, the Kings played a solid game in the first half, carrying a 54-43 margin into the final half.

But the Pals were able to neutralize the Kings in the third with Sullinger, Cardona and Billones starring on the offensive end.

Welcoat 103, Air21 99

In the first game, the Welcoat Dragons spewed fire late in the fourth quarter to down erstwhile leader Air21 Express, 103-99 in overtime.

Charles Clark had a monster game with 40 points and 21 rebounds – the first 40-20 game of the season. Backed by Denver Lopez and JayR Reyes in the extension period, Clark towed Welcoat to its second victory in the conference after back-to-back losses to Alaska and Talk ‘N Text.

Reyes added 19 points and 13 rebounds and Lopez also 19 points.

Air21 was led by Gary David who tallied 27 points and Shawn Daniels who scored 20 markers and 17 rebounds.

Unlike in their previous games, Air21 showed little of the intensity and determination that carried them to victory.

Daniels brought Air21 within 99-100, with still 1:57 to go, but the team missed four attempts and turned the ball over twice the rest of the way to lose their second straight game and drop to a 4-2 slate overall.

Welcoat, which lost to Alaska by 21 points last week and to TNT by 22 last Saturday, missed winning outright in regulation when Daniels pulled off a clean block on Robert Wainwright in the dying seconds.

Air21’s Homer Se was serving out a one-game suspension he incurred for being ejected in the course of the team’s 106-111 loss to Red Bull last Wednesday. Welcoat coach Leo Austria said this helped his team control Daniels more.

Apart from the suspension, Se was also fined P50,000 for coming physically into contact with referee Throngy Aldaba while the player was pleading his case.

The Dragons actually came back from a 79-88 deficit in the last 2:40 of regulation by holding Air21 scoreless for more than two minutes and leaning on Clark, Lopez and Reyes to go up 93-90.

The Express’ hopes were rekindled by an Arwind Santos triple that knotted the count at 93, with still 25 seconds to go in the fourth period.

Air21 seemed bent on rebounding in a big way from that loss to the Barakos when Daniels joined hands with Aris Dimaunahan and Mark Andaya in a massive 25-7 surge that gave them their first of three 14-point leads at 40-26.

David’s jumper made it a 51-38 game with 9:57 left in the third period before Welcoat staged its most notable surge in the game and perhaps in the entire conference.

With the Dragons finally making the stops and Lopez and Clark spearheading their attack the league’s newest member unloaded a swirling 18-0 attack capped by a Jireh Ibanes lay-up that gave them a 56-51 spread.

The scores:

First Game

Welcoat 103 – Clark 40, Reyes 19, Lopez 19, Wainwright 10, Compton 8, Gelig 5, Ibanes 2, Baguion 0, Cabatu 0, Lao 0, Feihl 0.

Air21 99 – David 27, Daniels 20, Santos 17, Canaleta 10, Dimaunahan 7, Arboleda 7, Telan 5, Andaya 4, Torion 2.

Quarterscores: 19-19, 34-45, 60-57, 93-93, 103-99.

Second Game

Talk ‘N Text 99 – Sullinger 31, Cardona 28, Billones 14, Carey 8,

Allado 8, Washington 5, Fran 3, Belano 2, Pablo 0, De Ocampo 0.

Ginebra 92 – Nealy 34, Macapagal 12, Menk 10, Chia 8, Tubid 8,

Salvacion 6, Mamaril 5, Seigle 4, Echavez 3, Santos 2, Holper 0.

Quarterscores: 21-23, 43-54, 69-65, 99-92