Aces sweep Hotshots, book first Finals slot

RELENTLESS Alaska reinforcement Romeo Travis tries to twist about and wriggle free of a Star triple team of (from left) Joe Devance, James Yap and Rafi Reavis in last night’s Game 3 at the Big Dome. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Cool and smart especially in the endgame, Alaska did all the right things on both ends and dethroned defending champion Star with an 82-77 decision Sunday night that boosted the Aces into the Finals of the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Romeo Travis drained the big triples in the stretch and the Aces’ defense starved the Hotshots to just 12 fourth-quarter points as Alaska applied the broom on Star in their best-of-five Final Four series many thought would go the distance.

“I love my guys, I just love ’em,” Alaska coach Alex Compton said after the low-scoring contest that saw his charges battle from early double-digit deficits.

Alaska now awaits the winner of the San Miguel Beer-Rain or Shine series, which will break its 1-1 tie at 7 p.m. today, also at the Big Dome in Cubao.

Travis scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quater, with the last of his two treys shoving the Aces ahead to stay, 79-77, going into the final two minutes.

The Hotshots, who actually won the last two editions of this conference, stumbled into some very bad mistakes and went scoreless in the last 2:56 after taking a 77-74 lead on a Marqus Blakely basket.

Blakely took an ill-advised three like James Yap in that span, and after Yap’s miss, Vic Manuel put the game to bed for Alaska with a jumper from the right corner, which made it 81-77, time down to 30 seconds.

It marks the second time this season that the Aces are in the Finals, and Compton and his gang want to go all the way this time after narrowly losing the Philippine Cup trophy to San Miguel Beer in seven games.

Manuel finished with 14 points, eight of them coming in the fourth, with Cyrus Baguio and rookie Rome Dela Rosa shooting 11 each.

Dela Rosa made a surprise start at the shooting guard spot and played his worthiest game as a pro, even earning Best Player of the Game honors from the television panel.

Yap led the Hotshots with 20 points, but only four of them came in the final two frames. Blakely added 15 and just seven rebounds as he spent a lot of time arguing with game officials.
The scores:
ALASKA 82—Travis 19, Manuel 14, Baguio 11, Dela Rosa 11, Casio 9, Banchero 5, Abueva 5, Thoss 4, Hontiveros 4, Baclao 0, Jazul 0.

STAR 77—Yap 20, Blakely 15, Mallari 9, Pingris 8, Devance 8, Taha 6, Barroca 5, Reavis 4, Simon 2, Melton 0, Pennisi 0.
Quarters: 16-23, 37-46, 60-65, 82-77