INQUIRER Sports

GAMES SUNDAY (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m.—Sta. Lucia vs Talk ‘N Text
6:30 p.m.—Air21 vs Barangay Ginebra

VICTORIAS, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL -- Alaska milked Coca-Cola dry in the final three minutes for a 69-62 victory in the first road game of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Saturday night, lifting the Aces to a piece of the elimination round lead at the Victorias City gym here.

The Aces scored eight points inside that span to settle the low-scoring ballgame and secure Alaska’s second straight win.

Alaska moved into a tie with idle Talk ‘N Text and surprising Rain or Shine at the top of the 10-team field. The Tropang Texters try to notch a third straight victory when action returns to the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

Talk ‘N Text slugs it out with defending champion Sta. Lucia in the 4 p.m. game before Barangay Ginebra guns for a 2-0 card opposite Air21 in the 6:30 p.m. contest.

Starting point guard LA Tenorio scored on a left-handed layup with 1:34 left that broke a long scoreless spell for both teams and shoved the Aces on top to stay, 63-62.

The 6-foot-10 Asi Taulava then missed a short stab under heavy pressure in the next Coca-Cola offensive before failing to clear the rebound on the other end which led to a Sonny Thoss follow-up of a Tony dela Cruz miss for 65-62 with 39 seconds left.

After scoring more than a third of his team’s output, Taulava had a chance to inch the Tigers closer, but bungled two free throws.

Coca-Cola then had another chance after Dela Cruz missed two charities with 27 seconds left, but Ronjay Buenafe, the sophomore out of Emilio Aguinaldo College, threw up an ill-advised shot from 27 feet out with still a lot of time left on the shotclock.

And that led to the insurance free throws from Thoss off a foul by Mark Macapagal with 7.9 ticks to play.

Thoss finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

Despite his sputtering finish, Taulava still led all shooters for the night with 21 points.

Meanwhile, the Texters, starring a bevy of guards, will try to pin a second straight loss on the Realtors, who fell just short in their season debut opposite the Gin Kings last week.

Rookies Jared Dillinger and Jason Castro have fit in perfectly into the system of coach Chot Reyes. They are expected to again provide most of the damage, while the Realtors will again lean heavily on Kelly Williams, last season’s Most Valuable Player.

The scores:
ALASKA 69 -- Tenorio 11, Thoss 11, Ferriols 9, Cariaso 8, Hugnatan 8, Fonacier 7, Devance 6, Dela Cruz 6, Miller 3, Sotto 0.

COCA-COLA 62 -- Taulava 21, Macapagal 9, Belasco 8, Telan 6, Cabagnot 6, Arigo 5, Buenafe 5, Rizada 2, Dimaunahan 0, Baguion 0.
Quarters: 19-9, 31-28, 48-51, 69-62