Barangay Ginebra.
Joe De Vance erupted for a career-best 30 points and the Aces played tough at the finish,
outfighting the Kings, 104-101, to move a win shy of the PBA Philippine Cup Final Four at the
Araneta Coliseum Friday night.
“It’s nice to win a game in the fourth quarter. We finally got one in this conference and it
came at the right time,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.
“Best of three is a sprint. You’ve got to be ready to go and go right away. The good news is
that after playing back-to-back games, we have four days to recharge and be ready to go again,”
Cone added.
Cone and his troops go for the kill versus the Kings in Game Two Wednesday also at the Big Dome.
De Vance went 3-of-6 from the three-point area, 9-of-16 from the two-point zone and 3-of-7 from the
stripe and also came through with 10 rebounds and five assists.
Cyrus Baguio, Tony dela Cruz, Sonny Thoss, Mark Borboran and LA Tenorio added double-digit outputs
as the Aces sustained the momentum of a two-game closing run in the elims, avenging a 68-79 loss to
the Kings last Nov. 14.
“We pulled through but it was certainly not easy,” said Cone.
“We got to a good start then faltered a bit. Good thing we came out with a good attitude. We
stayed tough and that’s what we’ve been working for. It’s nice to see that we’re growing
that way,” Cone added.
The Aces squandered a 14-point spread but won’t crumble down, beating the Kings with a strong
finishing kick.
De Vance, Thoss and Brandon Cablay hit clutch baskets fueling a run that had the Aces wiping out a
four-point deficit with 3:12 left to play.
De Vance made a twinner then canned in two charities off a foul by Willy Wilson as the Aces
regained the lead to stay at 101-99.
With Alaska protecting a one-point lead, De Vance himself set up Thoss for an undergoal shot that
gave the Aces the 104-101 count.
The Kings eventually yielded the game as Yancy de Ocampo missed a three-point attempt in the
closing seconds.
Going down the drain was Wilson's double-double game. He made a career high 17 points that went
with 11 rebounds.
Ginebra now needs to beat Alaska two in a row to salvage the short series. (SB)
The scores:
Alaska 104 – De Vance 30, Baguio 15, Dela Cruz 14, Thoss 12, Borboran 11, Tenorio 10, Cablay 8,
Eman 4, Custodio 0, Hugnatan 0.
Ginebra 101 – Tubid 21, Caguioa 18, Wilson 17, Cortez 15, Hatfield 15, Villanueva 6, Mamaril 5,
Aquino 2, Miller 2, Intal 0, De Ocampo 0.
Quarters: 37-28, 62-50, 81-79, 104-101
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