Star sizzles, cruises to F4

Star coach Chito Victolero has always preached about the need for mental toughness.

He saw that in his Hotshots on Wednesday night as they advanced to the Final Four of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup following an 84-69 decision of Rain or Shine.

The Hotshots churned the win out of pure desire after struggling in the first 42 minutes at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We went through a battle out there,” Victolero said after his Hotshots left the enemy biting their dust in the last six minutes.

Star turned a shaky four-point lead there to commanding bulges that eventually dethroned Rain or Shine.

“(Our) mental toughness was the key,” he added.

Star showed how formidable it could be when things aren’t really working well as it scooted away from a 67-63 game to seal its place in the semifinals against powerhouse San Miguel Beer.

“We stayed positive despite bad shooting,” Victolero said. “I just told my players that we would eventually be making our shots, somehow.”

The Beermen made short work of Phoenix Petroleum on Tuesday, 115-96, before Barangay Ginebra followed the Beermen to the next round after trampling over GlobalPort, 96-85.

Ginebra will have to wait for its semifinal opponent after Meralco forged a KO duel for a Final Four berth by nipping TNT in overtime, 103-100, in the second game.

Marc Barroca scored 10 of his 12 points in the final period and helped key the Star breakaway.

The victory dramatized how good the Hotshots are defensively after they held Rain or Shine to its lowest point total in the last eight conferences.

Not only that, the Hotshots allowed just one player, import Duke Crews, to score in twin digits for the Painters with 12.