The Star Hotshots shot the lights out to score a lopsided 127-100 beating of the depleted Globalport Batang Pier in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Hotshots won their third straight game and levelled their record at 4-4. The skidding Batang Pier, who were without Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo in the match, dropped even further to 2-6 in the team standings.
Ricardo Ratliffe led six players in double-digits with 28 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 13-for-18 from the field. Allein Maliksi added 21 points on 5-for-6 three-pointers. Mark Barroca contributed 16 points and nine assists.
“I think when we saw the first few plays, we had a feeling we are going to play well,” Star head coach Jason Webb said.
“(Marc Pingris) set a really good tone for the guys especially on the rebounding end. When you have an emotional leader like that, it really sets the tone for the entire group.”
Pingris finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. He returned to the game in the second half, despite having suffered a cut to his forehead in the second quarter, after a collision with Rico Maierhofer.
Maliksi capped an impressive first half display for the Hotshots with a three-pointer, as the team built a 61-40 cushion entering the break.
“The players just played tremendous defense the entire game,” Webb added.
Star kept pouring it on against the lethargic Batang Pier, leading by as much as 84-52 in the third quarter after James Yap converted a three-point play.
Later, triples by Maliksi and Alex Mallari made it 119-85 as Star cruised to an easy win.
Shawn Taggart was the lone bright spot for the Batang Pier, scoring 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Paolo Taha and Joseph Yeo each added 16 and 14 points, respectively.
The Scores:
Star (127) – Ratliffe 28, Maliksi 21, Barroca 16, Simon 13, Yap 12, Pingris 10, Mallari 8, Reavis 4, Cruz 3, Sangalang 3, Taha 3, Melton 2, J. Pascual 2, Torres 2.
Globalport (100) – Taggart 37, Taha 16, Yeo 14, Jensen 8, Maierhofer 6, Uyloan 6, Hayes 5, Fortuna 2, Kramer 2, Mamaril 2, Washington 2.
Quarterscores: 31-19, 61-40, 94-69, 127-100.
