INQUIRER Sports

BAGUIO CITY—Two topnotch guards caught fire just in time for Harbour Centre to break out of a cold spell here in the country's summer capital.

Jason Castro and TY Tang took charge in a fourth-quarter spurt as Batang Pier overcame a lackluster start to rip San Mig Coffee, 69-55, Monday and take a commanding 2-0 semifinal lead in the PBL Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup at the University of the Cordilleras gym.

Castro reeled off six straight points in a key stretch to spark Batang Pier's comeback in a game that the Coffee Kings dominated for three quarters.

Tang then unloaded nine of his 12 points in the last six minutes as Batang Pier boosted their lead to 15 points, 62-47, after trailing by as many as nine at 28-37.

“We played lousy for three quarters, but by the fourth quarter, we played aggressive defense and our offense followed,” said Batang Pier coach Jorge Gallent. “When we (commit) lapses in our defense, that’s when our offense bogs down.”

Hapee Toothpaste also moved within a win of a Finals stint after crushing Burger King, 86-66, in the second semifinal encounter.

Reed Juntilla exploded with 30 points, including nine in a 17-4 charge that turned the Complete Protectors' slim 40-36 halftime advantage into a 17-point spread, 57-40, late in the third quarter.

Mark Borboran notched 13 markers and Gabe Norwood added 10 for the Complete Protectors, who hardly missed injured star Jervy Cruz.

“We executed the zone press in the third quarter, it was just like a replay of our Game 1 [win, 82-70],” said Hapee coach Louie Alas.

Harbour, four-time champion, will shoot for a fifth straight Finals stint on Thursday when action returns to Manila for Game 3 of the best-of-five Final Four series at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

After posting a notable 46 percent shooting clip in the first half, the Coffee Kings missed all their field goal attempts in the fourth period, until a Neil Rañeses jumper ended the drought with only 2:21 minutes left in the game.

But by then, the top-seeded Batang Pier had opened up a sizable 64-52 advantage that Beau Belga and Jonathan Fernandez helped preserve.

Castro, who’s playing in his final season before suiting up for the Singapore Slingers in the Australian pro league, tied the game at 47 early in the fourth quarter with his six-point spree.

The scores:

First Game

HARBOUR CENTRE 69—Alonzo 12, Castro 12, Tang 12, Fernandez 10, Belga 9, Mercado 7, Chan 3, Asoro 2, Malabanan 2, Bautista 0, Gamboa 0, Gaco 0.
SAN MIG COFFEE 55—Alcaraz 18, Rañeses 12, Custodio 11, Saldua 10, Balneg 2, Dela Cuesta 2, Losentes 0, Arao 0, Solis 0, Del Rosario 0.
Quarters: 13-15, 26-31, 43-45, 69-55

Second Game

HAPEE 86—Juntilla 30, Borboran 13, Norwood 10, Saguindel 9, Mercado 5, Grijaldo 5, Viray 5, Espirtu 4, Rodriguez 3, Tan 2, Ranises 0, Quinday 0, Hugnatan 0, Daa 0.
BURGER KING 66—Arellano 17, David 12, Santos 11, Misa 8, Ballesteros 6, Bravo 5, Gregorio 4, Popus 3, Bonus 0, Baluyot 0, Barcellano, Angles 0.
Quarters: 23-22, 40-36, 61-48, 86-66