A balanced offensive effort from their roster was just what the Alaska Aces needed to leave a clumsy Kia Carnival in the dust, 101-63, to take home their fifth victory in 2015 PBA Governor’s Cup, Friday evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A low-scoring but thrilling first quarter saw a tight trade of baskets between the two squads, with neither looking geared to pull away. A jumper from Romeo Travis and a triple from Dondon Hontiveros gave Alaska the first two-possession lead of the ballgame, 10-6, just around the halfway mark. Import Hamedy N’diaye and Hans Thiele however responded with an unanswered basket each to knot the game anew. The Aces responded in relentless fashion, completing a 11-0 run that saw Hontiveros sink another trey, Calvin Abueva sink two charities, and Chris Banchero put up seven points. At the end of the first twelve minutes, Alaska led 23-12.
It was Alaska who continued to dominate the scoring come the second quarter. The Aces doubled the Carnival output at one point in the early period, care of another Hontiveros triple. Despite a rejuvenated showing from Kia, the Aces would shoot enough to protect their double digit lead. At the halftime break, they led 42-30.
The second half opened to a trade of barrages between imports Travis of Alaska and the duo N’diaye and Chang Tsun-hien of Kia. However, with the rest of the Carnival struggling to regain their touch, the Aces would continue to pace the contest. The Carnival were dealt another blow when N’Diaye, after being poked in the eye by Alaska’s Abueva, collapsed to the floor in pain and had to be sent to the bench for treatment. He however was able to return in time to sink the charities awarded to him, cutting the deficit to eleven, 47-58. The Aces’ top gunner Hontiveros however responded on the other end with another triple that extended the lead to 14. At the buzzer, the Aces had their biggest lead of the game thus far, 69-49.
The Alaska second unit, led by Vic Manuel, had no trouble padding the lead come the fourth quarter. By the halfway point, the lead had ballooned to as much as 31, 90-59. The Carnival suffered another setback when the lone bright spot on their stats sheet N’Diaye had to be taken out of the game after complaining of dizziness. The Aces led by as many as 38 before eventually walking away with the win.
Vic Manuel had 15 points and 4 rebounds off the bench, taking home the Player of the Game award for his performance. Sharpshooter Hontiveros on the one hand enjoyed perfect shooting, going five-of-five from the field, including four tries from beyond the arc, to finish with 14 points. Hamedy N’Diaye had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks for Kia. Alaska joins San Miguel at the 5-2 spot, while Kia slides to 3-3. Kia shot a lowly 33.3%, sinking only three of 22 three-point attempts.
The Scores:
Alaska (101) – Manuel 15, Travis 14, Hontiveros 14, Banchero 14, Casio 11, Jazul 9, Abueva 8, Exciminiano 7, Baclao 4, Thoss 2, Menk 2, de la Rosa 1
Kia (63) – N’Diaye 18, Chang 10, Avenido 7, Dehesa 5, Nuyles 4, Alvarez 4, Revilla 3, ighalo 2, Thiele 2, Yeee 2
Quarters: 23-12, 42-30, 69-49, 101-63
