Digging deep
Alaska 97 vs. B-Meg Derby Ace 91
by rick olivares
March 13, 2011
Araneta Coliseum
“Dig deep, fellas. Dig deep.”
Alaska Aces head coach Tim Cone knows that if there is a team in the PBA that despite not being at full strength that can beat another one at any given time, it’s the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. Their team management had built a solid and veteran team through the years. One that has been together for some time now and with do-it-all forward Kerby Raymundo returning, they could be more than a handful.
After an Alaska miss, the Llamados’ Roger Yap pitched at outlet pass to Shamari Spears who laid the ball in to notch the count at the fourth and last time at 89-all.
In Alaska’s next possession, point guard LA Tenorio called the play but his teammates were slow to get into position. Forward Joe Devance switched to the right side to set a screen and work the two-man game when Tenorio launched a trey with time running down. The shot was short as it barely grazed the rim, but Devance tipped the ball in to restore the lead.
It had been like that all match long, Alaska would stake B-Meg to a lead and the Llamados would trim it down to a very manageable lead. The Aces’ one-touch passing and constant player movement wreaked havoc on B-Meg’s defense (Alaska out-assisted B-Meg 25-11). B-Meg answered with forwards Marc Pingris and Spears who combined for 13 points in the second quarter to underscore their strength inside the paint. Even two-time league MVP James Yap seemed nigh unstoppable in his lane incursions to 14 first half points.
In the face of withering pressure following spirited B-Meg rally that saw them notch the count at 47-all at the half, Alaska opened the third quarter with a an 8-0 blitz.
The Aces had adjusted their defense to meet the Llamados up high to prevent the entry pass or the drive. In one sequence where B-Meg turned over the ball four consecutive times, Alaska revved up their running game to take a 73-57 lead as they threatened to blow the match wide open.
But with 7:13 left in the fourth period, Aces import LD Williams went up for a death-defying slam. Only Roger Yap met him in the air and the former Wake Forest Deacon flubbed the jam. As he crashed to the floor and clutched him leg muscles, Yap was whistled for a foul. The B-Meg braintrust angrily rushed to the floor to protest and replays showed that Llamados guard never even hit the American. Whether a dive or not, the mislay took out something from Williams who proceeded to miss his two free throws and did not score again.
With the suddenly meek Williams out of it, matters sort of evened out as B-Meg’s James Yap, who had been taking all his defenders to school all game long for 22 points, went out with cramps.
Alaska went to its one-two knockout combination of Tenorio and Devance who both combined for 10 points in the final 3:28.
“It came down to making plays down the stretch,” noted Cone to his team inside the dugout. “And we found ways to make our shots. This was the first time we outhustled a team in the final minutes in the last three to four months. We just didn’t back down.”
“They hurt us inside with their size,” said B-Meg’s Spears who finished with 18 points and 9 boards. Although Alaska lost the rebounding battle 48-44, their massive frontline of Williams, Devance, Sonny Thoss, Sam Eman, and Tony dela Cruz combined for 72 points to the 48 of B-Meg.
Raymundo, in his first game back after missing B-Meg’s last 33 games due to a hip and groin injury played 13 minutes while tallying 4 points and 3 rebounds.
At 3-1 heading into the match, Alaska knew that this game could very well tell on their fortunes for this short Commissioners Cup where only the top six teams advance. The Llamados were at an even 2-2 and seemed to hitting their stride with a two-match win streak.
With the win, Alaska moved into second spot with 4-1 slate that tied them with Talk ‘N Text that won later in the evening. B-Meg fell to 2-3.
Alaska 97 – Williams 30, Devance 19, Tenorio 16, Thoss 14, Baguio 9, Eman 7, dela Cruz 2, Borboran 0, Custodio 0, Cablay 0
B-Meg Derby Ace 91 – Yap James 22, Pingris 18, Spears 16, Simon 12, Canaleta 6, Gaco 4, Raymundo 4, Yap Roger 4, Escobal 3, Adducul 2
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