INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—Ian Saladaga, an underrated talent from Cebu, found no better time to step up as Pharex kept its quarterfinal bid alive with Saturday’s upset win over Magnolia Purewater in the PBL PG Flex Linoleum Cup.

“The way he plays is exactly how he (plays in) practices,” said Pharex team manager Jean Alabanza. “He is emerging as one of our top players this conference.”

Saladaga pumped in a personal conference-high of 21 points to lift the Generix to an 81-73 win over the Wizards.

“I think the guys are getting a feel for each other,” said Pharex coach Carlo Tan.

The team with the worst record at the end of the round will be eliminated. And at 3-7, the Generix must win their last two games to boost their quarterfinal chances.

Saladaga typified the Generix’s urgent need and the former star of University of San Jose-Recoletes in Cebu earned Player of the Week citation as a fitting reward.