Terrafirma closed its PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup campaign on a high note, overwhelming Titan Ultra, 149-117, behind Juami Tiongson’s explosive start and Maverick Ahanmisi’s triple-double on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Tiongson erupted for 18 of his 30 points in the opening quarter, while Ahanmisi orchestrated the Dyip’s offense throughout the contest, finishing with 18 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double in the PBA.
The duo powered Terrafirma to a wire-to-wire victory, giving the team a strong finish to a challenging season.
(C) PBA Images
“Before the game kasi, sinabi namin sa boys na we need to end this conference on a high note. At least may babalikan kami next conference,” said head coach Ronald Tubid, whose squad finished the Governors’ Cup with a 5-7 record and the season with a 10-25 mark.
Despite the lopsided victory, Tubid lamented the missed opportunities that kept the Dyip from advancing beyond the elimination round, pointing out that many of their losses were closely contested.
“Ever since naman ‘yung mga games namin, hindi naman kami ganoon katambak… Puro laban, eh. Iyon ang magiging babalikan namin, ‘yung what if we played our A-game at that time? Supposed to be, pasok kami. Pero wala, can’t control that, tapos na iyon, eh,” he said.
Tubid added that Terrafirma intends to begin preparations earlier for the next conference to build on the team’s progress and establish better chemistry.
“So next season, probably, we’re gonna start early para mabuo ulit ‘yung chemistry. We’re getting there, the team is slowly improving,” he said.
The Dyip made their intentions clear from the opening tip, pouring in 47 points in the first quarter to take a commanding 47-26 advantage. The output marked a new franchise record for most points in a single quarter, surpassing the 42 points they scored against Macau a week earlier at the same venue.
Terrafirma continued to pile on the points, stretching its lead to as many as 32 points against a Titan Ultra squad that was also looking to end its campaign on a positive note.
(C) PBA Images
The Giant Risers, however, suffered their fourth consecutive blowout defeat, wrapping up their maiden PBA season with an 8-28 overall record.
Von Pessumal led Titan Ultra with 26 points, while Tirrell Brown II capped his first PBA stint with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Their efforts were not enough to contain the Dyip’s high-powered offense.
Titan Ultra also played without Joshua Munzon for the second straight game.
The Scores:
Terrafirma 149 – Tiongson 30, Ahanmisi 18, Strings 12, Eriobu 12, Miller 9, Garcia 9, Paraiso 8, Mariano 8, Chiu 8, Bravo 5, Catapusan 5, Zaldivar 5, Umali 4, Adamos 3, Hanapi 2.
Titan Ultra 117 – Pessumal 26, Brown 24, Yu 11, Dionisio 11, Caralipio 11, Ular 7, Garcia 6, Javillonar 6, Wong 5, Omega 4, Amores 4, Inigo 2, Deles 0.
Quarterscores: 47-26, 76-65, 109-94, 149-117.
