It’s off to the semis

KELLY Williams and the TNT KaTropa mow down Willie Wilson and the Phoenix Fuel Masters. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

ANTIPOLO—TNT KaTropa coach Jong Uichico swears that he takes no offense when a fellow Final Four protagonist did not label his Texters as the team to beat, even if they have dominated the PBA Governors’ Cup practically from the start.

Jason Castro and the rest of the gang just did their talking at the Ynares Center floor here last night, manhandling Phoenix Petroleum and Eugene Phelps, 136-124, to complete the semifinal cast and arrange a best-of-five duel with sister team Meralco.

Castro scored a season-high 42 points in just 27 minutes and the Texters got five others in twin digits en route to their fifth straight win overall.

In fact, Uichico said he believes what Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone said on Friday night, when he labeled defending champion San Miguel Beer as the team to beat after steering the Gin Kings to the Final Four.

“No offense [taken], because it’s true,” Uichico said, even after his Texters handily defeated both the Beermen and the Gin Kings in the elimination round. “I still feel San Miguel is the barometer of all teams, they have a 6-9 center [in June Mar Fajardo] and they have good points guards.

“They (Beermen) are a complete team.”

The Texters led by as large as 21 points, breaking away from an 88-85 game late in the third period with a 19-8 run that snuffed the fight out of the Fuel Masters.

Castro made two free throws early in the fourth before being recalled to the bench by Uichico, who got 17 points from Asian import Michael Madanly and 16 each from Ranidel de Ocampo and Ryan Reyes.

The Bolts, the fourth seeds, scored a 105-82 dismantling of Mahindra in the first game and sustained their mastery of the Enforcers.
Mahindra, after opening up with four straight wins and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, exited after losing its last five games, three of them at the hands of the Bolts.

The scores:

First Game

MERALCO 105—Durham 24, Newsome 19, Hodge 14, Dillinger 12, Amer 7, Alapag 6, Faundo 6, Hugnatan 6, Nabong 5, Caram 2, Chua 2, Guevarra 2, Uyloan 0, Al-Hussaini 0, Buenafe 0.
MAHINDRA 82—White 20, Digregorio 14, Guinto 8, Agovida 7, Paniamogan 7, Taha 6, Canaleta 5, Jaime 5, Ballesteros 4, Ramos 3, Revilla 3, Bagatsing 0, Gallanza 0, Yee 0.
Quarters: 18-26, 50-45, 84-61, 105-82

Second Game

TNT KATROPA 136—Castro 42, Madanly 17, De Ocampo 16, Reyes 16, Fonacier 13, Williams 12, Rosales 9, Ammons 7, Rosario 4, Rosser 0, Tautuaa 0.
PHOENIX 124—Phelps 39, Lee 24, Baguio 10, J. Wilson 10, Enciso 9, Lanete 9, Borboran 7, Urbiztondo 5, Hayes 4, Torres 3, Cruz 2, Intal 2, Buenafe 0, Pennisi 0, W. Wilson 0.
Quarters: 32-34, 70-67, 107-93, 136-124