GlobalPort’s horrid start is now a thing of the past
Sean Anthony was all praises for the way the GlobalPort Batang Pier have been executing their defensive schemes, following his and his team’s 101-76 demolition of the Blackwater Elite for their second straight victory.
“[It was] Defense again. We held them under 80 points. Our offense just flowed and we stayed aggressive on defense,” said the 31-year-old forward.
“Coach [Pido Jarencio] wants us to keep teams under 80, so another great defensive win for us.”
“We again met our target of limiting our points to below 80 points,” beamed Jarencio.
After a 0-2 start into the 2018 Philippine Cup, and after allowing their opponents to score an average of 109.5 points per game, the Batang Pier have gone on a roll and have improved to 2-2. In this mini streak of theirs, with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Blackwater as casualties, they have limited their opponents to just 73 points.
For the eight-year pro, it’s mostly because of the team’s growing chemistry, considering that they are running a new system under Jarencio, who took the coaching reins from Franz Pumaren in the off-season.
“A lot of it is the chemistry – we have a lot of new guys, so many young guys, a new coach, too, so our chemistry’s building,” said Anthony, who paced the Batang Pier with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
“It’s getting better every day.”
But GlobalPort has a tall order ahead of them on January 24, as they are set to face reigning three-time all-Filipino champs San Miguel Beermen. But Anthony believes that they have ample time to prepare for the giants.
“San Miguel is three-time defending champs, so they’re going to be the team to beat, and definitely a barometer,” said the Filipino-American, who is currently averaging 18.25 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.75 assists.
“We’ve got some time to get better, so we’ve got to keep working on our weaknesses and continue to get better every day.”
