Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

Alaska starts post-Calvin Abueva era with triumph over Meralco


The Alaska Aces began their life without Calvin Abueva on a high note as they sent the Meralco Bolts to their second straight defeat, 80-72, in the 2018 Governors’ Cup, Friday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“I’m definitely happy with the win,” beamed Aces head coach Alex Compton. “I was worried coming into the game. They (Meralco) are the back-to-back finalists, and they also have the Best Import (Allen Durham).”

Import Mike Harris led the Milkmen with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Chris Banchero was all over the place with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while fellow guard Simon Enciso provided 11 markers on 12 shots.

The Aces nearly blew their chances of winning, though. They already had a 15-point lead with 5:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Bolts caught fire and made 10 straight points to knock within five, 70-75, with 1:30 on the clock.

Meralco had their own chances of trimming the gap further, but they failed to capitalize. Harris’ shot-clock-beating triple went in with 21 ticks left in the game, and that shut the door close on the Bolts.

Vic Manuel chipped in 10 markers and five rebounds in the win.

Allen Durham led the Bolts (1-2) with 21 points and 11 rebounds, his lowest output after averaging 27.5 points and 21 rebounds in their last two games. Chris Newsome had 14 points, while Baser Amer made 13 and 10 boards.

Alaska will next battle the TNT KaTropa on Sunday, August 26, at 4:30 PM. Meralco, meanwhile, will have a lengthy break before facing the Phoenix Fuel Masters on September 19. Both games are set at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.


The Scores:

#ReadMore  NLEX and Magnolia players set aside differences, rally around Marc Pingris

Alaska 80 – Harris 23, Banchero 13, Enciso 11, Manuel 10, Baclao 6, Exciminiano 5, Racal 5, Galliguez 3, Pascual 2, Teng 2, Casio 0.

Meralco 72 – Durham 21, Newsome 14, Amer 13, de Ocampo 8, Caram 6, Salva 5, Canaleta 3, Hodge 2, Hugnatan 0, Laneta 0, Tolomia 0.

Quarterscores: 18-22, 33-40, 61-50, 80-72.

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.


You May Also Like

Basketball

Meralco continued its mastery of San Miguel after coming away with a 100-93 decision to make the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal buildup...

Basketball

Meralco dealt NorthPort its second loss of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup following a 111-94 victory on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium....

Basketball

Meralco added to the struggles of NLEX, 105-91, to get back on track in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Friday night at the Ninoy...

Basketball

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson saved TNT from Meralco, 101-99, for its third straight win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Tuesday night at the Philsports Arena. The...

Basketball

Sunday’s PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup meeting between Meralco and Hong Kong Eastern was more than just a game for Nenad Vucinic. It was...

Basketball

Meralco outlasted Hong Kong Eastern in a nip-and-tuck affair, 88-83, to snap out of a two-game funk in a strong resumption to its PBA...

Basketball

Not even the Christmas spirit stopped Comverge from giving Meralco a harsh 110-94 whipping to extend its winning streak to four games in the...

Basketball

PBA squads Meralco and San Miguel suffered tough defeats in the continuation of the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) season on Wednesday night....

Advertisement