PBA : Alaska wins first Governor's cup game

Source : PBA.ph

LA Tenorio

Before the game, coach Tim Cone insisted having gone 0-2 is no reason to panic.

What’s vivid in his mind was his team ending up on top of everybody the last time they 

had 

the same start in a tourney – 2010 Fiesta Conference.

That’s long ways to go but Alaska, at least, has got on track.

The Aces broke into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup win-column in 
beating the B-Meg Llamados, 107-102,

in a tough seesaw battle at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday 

night.
Jason Forte and Sonny Thoss dished out solid games throughout while LA Tenorio got his game going in
the payoff period as Alaska nailed its first win in three starts in the season-ending tourney.

“Obviously, we made adjustments from the last two games. We go small with Jason (Forte) playing
the 4 spot, and it allows us to play three guards. We have to stay with that until we get the feel
of what we’re doing,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

“We spread the floor a little and used screens to get free. We have to work on that and hopefully
we get things going before the playoff comes. If we can do that, we’ll be pretty dynamic,” Cone
added.

The veteran Alaska mentor pointed out desperate times require desperate measures thus they’re
shying away a little from their triangle offense at the moment.

Forte came through with 29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on top of the good defensive job he
put up on former Alaska top forward Joe De Vance.

Thoss also had double-double numbers with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Tenorio added 16 markers
with 12 he made in the final canto.

Stefhon Hannah, who averaged only eight points in each of his first two games, made 18 but was
outplayed by Tenorio in the crunch.

B-Meg coach Jorge Gallent opted to sit out his import in the last 3:46 of play.

Hannah went 1-of-6 from the three-point area. He's now got an awful 3-of-25 three-point shooting
overall in the tourney.

The Aces surged ahead, 82-75, on a 10-to-nothing start in the fourth quarter and never looked back
to win the contest.

The two teams figured in 12 lead changes before B-Meg got the upper hand at the end of the opening
half, 53-46, on a 10-2 closing run.

Momentum shifted back and forth early on with Hannah and James Yap engaged in a shootout with Forte
and Thoss.

Hannah, Yap and Marc Pingris got B-Meg to a 10-2 start then Forte, Thoss and Cyrus Baguio teamed up
in an Alaska counterattack setting the stage for the nip-and-tuck battle.

Both teams shot well in the first half with the Llamados hitting at a 52.6 percent clip and Aces
converting 50 percent of their shots. In the first game,Air21 Express vs. Powerade Tigers, rookies Sean Anthony and Jai Reyes lifted the Powerade Tigers to their first win.

(SB)

The scores:

Powerade 109 - Porter 22, Anthony 21, Cruz 18, Reyes J. 14, Gonzales 14, Rizada 4, Macapagal 4,
Reyes R. 3, Allera 2, Lanete 2, Espino 2, Antonio 2, Quinahan 1.

Air21 91- Seigle 23, Hontiveros 13, Bangura 10, Canaleta 8, Salvador 7, Avenido 7, Arboleda 5,
Espiritu 4, Najorda 4, Sharma 4, Artadi 4, Cabahug 2, Urbiztondo 0.

Alaska 107 - Forte 29, Thoss 20, Tenorio 16, Baguio 11, Borboran 10, Custodio 6, Reyes 5, Gonzales
3, Cablay 3, Thiele 2, Eman 2, Dela Cruz 0.

B-Meg 102 - Yap J. 28, Hannah 18, Simon 17, Devance 10, Pingris 9, Allado 9, Villanueva 5, Yap R. 4,
Gaco 2, Fernandez 0.

Quarters: 23-23, 46-53, 72-75, 107-102