Powerade Tigers take a huge bite out of B-Meg

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 54^th 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.