Rain or
Shine checks skid while Shopinas continues inglorious slide
by rick olivares pic by brosi g
December 4, 2011
Smart Araneta Coliseum
Rain or Shine snapped out of its funk
to dispatch pesky Shopinas.com 88-81 but head coach Yeng Guiao was hardly
pleased.
Thinking his team played without fire
or urgency, Guiao sighed and said, “It’s just nice to break out of a losing
streak. I think the guys just put out an effort enough to breakout of that
losing streak. I am not really happy about that effort but a win is a win.”
With Shopinas facing the possibility
of losing their 13th straight match, the Clickers came out with a
lot more fire and kept the normally high octane Elasto Painters on first gear
for long stretches.
The Clickers put Rain or Shine in an
early 22-9 hole behind the sniping of RJ Jazul and inside play of James Sena
and Elmer Espiritu. As the Elasto Painters slowly cut into the lead behind
Jervy Cruz and JR Quiñahan, the afternoon’s first skirmish between Shopinas’
Ogie Menor and the ROS team came with 1:07 left to play in the first period
when a Ryan Araña forearm on Menor’s nape during a rebound play saw the two
players confront each other.
Just a few minutes earlier, ROS rookie
Paul Lee took a knee to his leg while trying to close down a drive by Menor.
The rookie hotshot was taken to the hospital for X-rays and other checks that
turned out to be negative for any injury.
Rain or Shine finally took the lead
after Larry Rodriguez scored underneath the basket, 31-30 at the 6:04 mark of
the second quarter. The Elasto Painters held the Clickers to five points on
2-16 shooting (12.5%).
The Clickers’ shooting woes were not
only the record for futility they unwittingly matched. Their 0-13 start matched
the 1982 Great Taste Coffeemakers’ start in the Reinforced Open Conference.
That team also had in its lineup Florendo Ritualo Sr. and current Alaska head
coach Joel Banal.
Shopinas currently has Florendo
Ritualo Jr. in its lineup and the former De La Salle Green Archer finished with
six points after a hot start to the Philippine Cup.
The record for winless finishes
doesn’t however belong to that Great Taste squad that was coached by Jimmy
Mariano for they finished that conference 2-16. The dubious record belongs to
Country Fair that finished 0-13 in the Reinforced Open Conference of 1984.
Shopinas will try to avoid owning that inglorious record when they play 9-4
B-Meg currently in third place in the ten-team standings next Thursday.
The Clickers continued to battle on
after a Jojo Duncil basket at the halfway mark of the final period that saw
them behind 70-73. But Rain or Shine pulled away behind Araña who scored 11 of
his 12 points in that quarter and Ronnie Matias who added six of his own.
Contributing to the game woes of Rain
or Shine was the ejection of Quiñahan in the third period after he elbowed
Menor in the face in the third period. The Clickers’ Homer Se was also thrown
out early in the match for using profane language.
Guiao couldn’t contain his disdain for
what he believes in the dirty play of Menor. Said the Rain or Shine coach: It’s
just a pity that guys like Menor are able to wreak havoc on players who just
like to play a good game and I thought it was done on purpose (the knee to Lee)
and he’s done it to other players in this league. He really is a danger in this
league.”
In the two team’s previous encounter
last November 4 that saw ROS handily beat the rookie team 96-75, Guiao was
ejected from the game after he shoved Menor who celebrated in from the Elasto
Painters’ bench after he made a basket.
Menor, who celebrated his birthday on
the day of Shopinas’ rematch with Rain or Shine, expressed surprise at Guiao’s
comments. Said the former San Beda Red Lion: “Hindi naman ako naninira. Yung
kay Araña, sa rebound play yun at ako pa ang tinamaan. Kung maglaro kasi ako
all-out. Pero hindi ako nananadya manakit.”
Charlie Dy, who manages Menor, added
in his ward’s defense: “I don’t think he plays dirty. He just plays hard all
the time and he has a strong build so when people collide with him, it hurts.”
Rain or Shine 88
- Chan 14, Arana 12, Quinahan 12, Matias
9, Norwood 9, Cruz 7, Tang 7, Belga 7, Rodriguez 7, Buenafe 4, Lee 0, Ibanes 0.
Shopinas 81
- Duncil 23, Jazul 17, Sena 11, Hubalde
9, Espiritu 7, Ritualo 6, Menor 4, Sison 2, Daa 2, Escobal 0, Aquino 0, Se 0.
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