The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel took home their third consecutive win in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup after breaking the Mahindra Enforcer’s winning streak, 104-86, Wednesday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The first quarter opened with a massive run by former Ateneo Blue Eagles LA Tenorio and Greg Slaughter, who led the Gin Kings to an 11-0 start. Ginebra led by as much as fourteen, 16-2, in the first half of the quarter. It was Aldrech Ramos who led the Mahindra resurgence, scoring six points late in the period to lead the Enforcer in cutting the lead to single digits just before the buzzer. At the end of the first twelve minutes, Ginebra led 22-13.
Getting much-needed help from one-time Blue Eagle Japeth Aguilar and import Othyus Jeffers, who had a quiet first quarter, Tenorio and Slaughter were able to extend the lead back to double-digits as the second quarter opened. The Gin Kings led by as many as twenty-one in a quarter, keeping the gap in the double digits, with the Enforcer struggling to penetrate the paint and find any easy touches from outside. At the halftime break, the lead was with Ginebra, 46-29. Mahindra shot a lackluster 30% from the field in the half.
With the Ginebra bigs taking some much-deserved and much-needed rest, guard Tenorio was left with the scoring reins. The Enforcers were able to grab the opportunity to hack at the lead, with LA Revilla and KG Canaleta hitting big triples that brought the lead down to ten, 45-55, at the halfway mark of the third quarter. But with the help of Solomon Mercado and Joe Devance, Jeffers was able to lead Ginebra back by extending the lead to eighteen late in the quarter, 68-50. Despite another spirited display by Canaleta and the Mahindra gunners to trim the lead, the Gin Kings still led at the end of the third, 72-62.
But the return of a rested Aguilar did not bode well for Mahindra. The tandem of Jeffers and Aguilar led Ginebra in racking up point after point to counter the Mahindra’s gutsy shooters. With two minutes left, the lead had ballooned by as much as nineteen. Ginebra led 99-75, and had sent in their reserves to put the icing on the cake. The Gin Kings later exited the court victorious, having extended the lead to twenty in the last two minutes of the game.
LA Tenorio took home Best Player of the Game honors for Ginebra once more, following a 15-point, 6- rebound, and 7-assist performance. Import Jeffers led the scoring with 24 points, along with 13 rebounds and 7 assists. Japeth Aguilar had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Greg Slaughter had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Gin Kings dominated the battle for the boards, taking 58 rebounds to Mahindra’s lackluster 39. They also made 26 assists when Mahindra finished with 16.
KG Canaleta led Mahindra with 22 points and 4 rebounds while shooting 5 of 10 from the 3-point line. Import Augustus Gilchrist finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Both Ginebra and Mahindra now have 3-2 slates.
The Scores:
Ginebra (104) – Jeffers 24, Tenorio 15, Aguilar 14, Devance 12, Slaughter 12, Mercado 7, Ellis 6, Thompson 5, Caguioa 3, Cruz 2, Marcelo 2, Salva 2, Helterbrand 0.
Mahindra (86) – Canaleta 22, Gilchrist 18, Revilla 11, Ramos 8, Yee 8, Bagatsing 5, Dehesa 5, Pascual 4, Hubalde 3, Guinto 2, Digregorio 0, Jaime 0, Pinto 0, Webb 0.
Quarterscores: 22-13, 46-29, 72-62, 104-86.
