INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?Lordy Tugade led San Miguel Beer?s second half assault to continue its mastery over Burger King, 100-85, and stretch its win run to eight at the start of the second round of elimination of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Pasig City Sunday night.

Tugade scored all but two of his 20 points in the final two quarters as the Beermen improved to 8-2. The Whoppers absorbed their seventh loss in 10 starts.

Alaska stayed a step ahead of the Beermen by surviving a late scare from Barako Bull and holding on to a 99-88 victory.

The Aces won their ninth game in 10 outings while dropping the Bulls to a 2-8 record.

San Miguel Beer has prevailed over the Burger King (formerly Air21) franchise in all their nine meetings in the All-Filipino conferences of the past three PBA seasons. The Beermen dumped the Whoppers, 117-99, in their first round meeting on Oct. 21

San Miguel trailed by four at the end of the first period but Arwind Santos, who scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the first half, carried the Beermen to a 45-44 halftime edge.

Santos, the former Burger King star, also wound up with 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and six blocked shots in 40 minutes.

Rookie Ronnie Matias had six points and Richard Yee added five in the first period as they handed the Whoppers a 22-18 lead.

In the second half, the Beermen, minus injured stars Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle and Anthony Washington, simply coasted along.

?We?re just trying to pick up as many wins as possible while waiting for our injured players to get back into form,? said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

Yee led the Whoppers with 14 points, seven rebounds, one assist and a blocked shot in 34 minutes.

The Whoppers blew a 30-point lead and bowed to Talk ?N Text, 118-105, last Friday to close out their first round campaign.

The Beermen themselves lost their previous outing, albeit a no-bearing one, with the Smart Gilas squad dealing San Miguel a 109-96 defeat. Romina S. Austria

The scores

First Game

SAN MIGUEL 100?Santos 27, Tugade 20, Miranda 14, Racela 12, Villanueva 11, Pena 7, Hontiveros 5, Pennisi 3, Eman 1, Cortez 0, Calaguio 0.

BURGER KING 85?Yee R, 14, Sharma 12, Yee M 11, Matias 10, Belga 8, Lanete 8, Buenafe 8, David 6, Williams 4, Quiñahan 4.

Quarters: 18-22, 45-44; 72-67; 100-85

Second Game

ALASKA 99?Hugnatan 17, Tenorio 16, Thoss 14, Miller 11, DeVance 9, Dela Cruz 9, Borboran 8, Fonacier 8, Ferriols 5, Cariaso 2, Burtscher 0.

BARAKO BULL 88?Aljamal 21, Alonzo 12, Dimaunahan 12, Crisano 12, Menor 9, Belano 7, Hubalde 6, Memberere 5, Fernandez 4, Najorda 0, Sta. Maria 0, Lao 0

Quarters: 29-26; 51-47; 79-64; 99-88