An unlikely matchup prevailed in the Al-Shabab Sports Club in Dubai in the first of back-to-back game days, a game that pitted Rain or Shine and GlobalPort. With contrasting body frames and playing positions, JR Quiñahan and Terrence Romeo led their respective squad’s stellar shooting display in the offensive-filled match.
The two ended up posting massive numbers and clinching their career-highs in the match. “Baby Shaq” scored 24 points including four timely three-point bombs while Romeo went blasting with his 40-point outing.
The imports had their usual numbers but the aforementioned duel was the one who led their teams scoring and in the production made by the locals. The Elasto Painters led majority of the game and kept the Batang Pier at bay that led to their first victory of the tournament. And while many of us expected a duel between two caliber point guards in Terrence Romeo and Paul Lee, Rain or Shine’s bench stepped up to play big anchored by a tremendous performance by Quiñahan.
Romeo was initially guarded by defensive specialist Gabe Norwood. Despite losing the ball by slipping in his first possession, the former FEU star ended the first period with already 15 points, including a stretch wherein he scored nine of the team’s 11 points that gave them the lead for a short period of time.
As the two squads combined for the season’s highest output in terms of combined points (70) in a quarter, Quiñahan came out of the bench providing instant offense for the Elasto Painters. Six minutes passing by the second period, the half of the Extra Rice bros already entered double-digit scoring on four straight perimeter jumpers. Before Romeo reentered the game, the triple by JR on top of the key gave them a 15-point barrier against the Batang Pier.
Off the bench in the second, Romeo fired a gorgeous stepback jumper but was his lone field goal for the quarter. With Terrence being a volume shooter in the period, Quiñahan and the rest of his squad cruised to a 17-point separation by halftime.
In the third, Romeo, who is currently second in the statistical points race, scored seven points in the middle of the quarter to slice the lead to 10. However, Quiñahan’s triple once again provided an extinguisher to halt the Batang Pier’s rally late.
That dictated the theme all-throughout the rest of the second half as any attempt by the Batang Pier was denied by the sizzling shooting by Rain or Shine. Quiñahan also made huge plays as the big man ran down the floor and making smart plays in transition. On the other hand, Romeo hardly had help from their other locals who only combined for 22 points whereas the Elasto Painters bench alone scored 37 excluding Quiñahan’s career-high efforts.
Quiñahan’s 24 equated from 10 out of 14 shots showing his efficiency in only 22 minutes of action. In addition, he shot 4 out of 8 from three-point territory and adding a steal and a block in his big contribution for Rain or Shine’s first win.
Meanwhile, Terrence Romeo’s 40 overshadowed his previous career-high by six points and also establishing a new franchise record as he erased the 35-point exertion by Sol Mercado. He needed 25 shots for it in this game but shot a relatively poor 3-for-10 from downtown. To cap his impressive Dubai stint, he had nine assists and three steals as well.
