Powerade
Tigers take a huge bite out of B-Meg
by rick olivares
December 14, 2011
Smart Araneta Coliseum
If the endgame between Talk ‘N Text
and Barako Bull was pure thriller, then 48 minutes played between Powerade and
B-Meg was a stunner. The Tigers upended the Llamados 97-88 on B-Meg head coach
Tim Cone’s 54th birthday.
The Tigers, 6-8, were not given a
chance to get past the Llamados, the league’s top seed, 10-4. In their first
meeting of the season, B-Meg thrashed Powerade last October 26, 97-80, and
never let the Tigers in the game. And despite Powerade’s key pickups, their
inconsistent play was seen by some quarters as an easier opponent for the top
seeded teams that had the twice-to-beat advantage.
But Game One of the quarterfinals
series between the two squads was anything but easy.
In a reversal of their elimination
round meeting, Powerade showed spunk and verve in dominating B-Meg in every
single quarter. Behind Gary David (32 points), Marcio Lassiter (24 points), and
Doug Kramer (10 points and 13 rebounds), the Tigers never allowed B-Meg to get
into a serious run. They traded basket for basket, big shot for big shot, and
stop for stop. Even turnover for turnover. But former Smart Gilas Pilipinas
mainstay Marcio Lassiter scored 11 huge fourth quarter points to see Powerade
through one of the team’s most important wins.
“They frustrated us,” said B-Meg point
guard Josh Urbiztondo who compiled eight points, six rebounds, and one assist
for his side. “They were hungry for this win. And now it’s on us to show what
we’re made of. The elimination round record is a thing of the past now.”
Said an exuberant Powerade coach Bo
Perasol: “If we put players with fearless competitiveness to go with a winning
mentality such as Marcio Lassiter or JV Casio -- anybody who infuses positive
spirit with the team -- we will be formidable. But the series is not over. What
we did was get a knockout game on Sunday. We will take our chances on Sunday.”
Powerade
97 – David 32, Lassiter 24, Kramer 10, Anthony 9, Casio 9, Vanlandingham 5,
Adducul 5, Lingganay 3, Allera 0, Cruz 0, Crisano 0, Antonio 0.
B-Meg
88 – Yap James 21, Simon 16, Pingris 13, Raymundo 10, Urbiztondo 8, Barroca
6, De Vance 6, Yap Roger 6, Reavis 2.
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