San Miguel Alab Pilipinas has collected its third win in as many games in the 9th ASEAN Basketball League, following its 86-72 conquest of the Formosa Dreamers, Friday night at the Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.
The reigning champs erased a four-point deficit early in the final frame, and finished the match with an overwhelming 21-3 scoring spree behind Renaldo Balkman, PJ Ramos, Pao Javelona, Caelan Tiongson, and Bobby Ray Parks, Jr.
San Miguel Alab remains on top of the team standings with a 3-0 card. They also handed the Taiwanese ball club its second straight defeat – Formosa had started the season scorching hot, as they won six straight games.
The Puerto Rican reinforcements were at the forefront of San Miguel Alab’s attack; Balkman had 19 points and 20 rebounds with five assists, while Ramos collected 16 points – spiked by a pair of triples – along with seven caroms.
Parks struggled from the floor, as he shot just 5-of-13, but he still led the locals with 13 points. Javelona chipped in 11 markers off the bench.
Things were bleak for the home team at the start. The Dreamers’ hot shooting from the field – thanks to Will Artino, Tevin Glass, and team holdover Kenny Chien – brought San Miguel Alab down to a 14-5 deficit.
Things also got a little chippy with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter, when Ramos and Malcolm Miller had an exchange of words after the former got fouled. Cooler heads prevailed, but the two were called for technical fouls.
But then, Alab managed to overcome their struggles come the fourth quarter. Miller’s freebies lifted Formosa to a 69-65 lead with 6:26 left, but that was their last gasp. Alab turned on the jets with a 21-3 explosion to bag the win.
Miller led Formosa with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Artino made 14 points and 12 boards, and Chien added 11 markers.
San Miguel Alab will look to extend its unbeaten run to four when it takes on the Xavier Alexander-led Singapore Slingers this Sunday, December 23, 8 PM at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
The Scores:
San Miguel Alab (86) – Balkman 19, Ramos 16, Parks 13, Javelona 11, Tiongson 6, Domingo 6, Urbiztondo 6, Rosser 5.
Formosa (72) – Miller 23, Artino 14, Glass 14, Chien 11, Tien 5, Wu 3, Lee 2, Chen 0, Cheng 0.
Quarterscores: 14-20, 39-39, 63-60, 86-72.
