Enforcers nail third win; Beermen score

PLAYING with sustained brilliance, Mahindra extended the franchise’s best-ever PBA start, scuttling NLEX, 106-99, last night to stay in second place in the Oppo Commissioner’s Cup eliminations at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Import Augustus Gilchrist had 30 points and 10 rebounds and five locals drilled in 10 or better as the Enforcers rose to 3-1.

“The players have matured,” coach Chito Victolero said. “They now know how to win, how to close out games. They are more focused, more aggressive and they want to prove something.”

Tyler Wilkerson dropped 52 points and San Miguel Beer connected on 19 triples later in the night to blast GlobalPort, 120-109, for the Beermen’s first win.

Wilkerson scored 49 of his total in the first three periods before the locals did the mop-up job in the fourth as San Miguel snapped Globalport’s two-game run and leveled the Batang Pier’s record to 2-2.

Marcio Lassiter fired 28 points built around eight triple conversions and Wilkerson had 11 from there. Those 19 triples matched the sixth all-time mark and tied the franchise’s second all-time most.

Calvin Warner paced the Batang Pier with 27 points, with Terrence Romeo adding 22.

Gilchrist shot 10 of his total in the fourth period and got solid support from KG Canaleta and LA Revilla when the game hung in the balance in the stretch.

ALDRECH Ramos of Mahindra (right) and evergreen Asi Taulava of NLEX dispute the rebound in last night’s game at the Big Dome. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Unimpressive in his first two outings, Gilchrist is showing that he belongs, and his very recent performances have not gone unnoticed, as far as Victolero is concerned.

“He’s not high scoring, but he does everything,” said Victolero. “He’s a team player and all I am asking of him now is to be a leader.”

Revilla, the tiniest player in the matchup, hit two layups inside the paint late, helping the Enforcers pin a second loss on the Road Warriors in four games.

Canaleta, meanwhile, had eight of his 21 in the fourth period.

The scores:

First Game

MAHINDRA 106—Gilchrist 30, Canaleta 21, Jaime 15, Digregorio 13, Ramos 12, Revilla 10, Dehesa 5, Guinto 0, Hubalde 0, Pinto 0, Yee 0.

NLEX 99—Thornton 29, Anthony 18, Villanueva J. 15, Taulava 10, Enciso 9, Alas 8, Lanete 5, Borboran 3, Khobuntin 2, Reyes 0, Villanueva E. 0.

Quarters: 27-20, 48-45, 74-70, 106-99

Second Game

SAN MIGUEL BEER 120—Wilkerson 52, Lassiter 28, Fajardo 15, Cabagnot 12, Ross 5, Tubid 4, Espinas 2, Semerad 2, Arana 0, De Ocampo 0, Heruela 0, Lutz 0.

GLOBALPORT 109—Warner 27, Romeo 22, Pringle 19, Washington 13, Taha 9, Mamaril 7, Yeo 6, Sumang 4, Kramer 2, Maierhofer 0, Semerad 0.

Quarters: 34-23, 67-58, 93-86, 120-109