Banchero, Aces step up in Abueva’s absence

Alaska’s Chris Bancher. PBA IMAGES

With Calvin Abueva having to deal with family problems, it was up to his Alaska teammates to compensate for his 10.2 rebounding average.

And although no one on the Aces lineup came close to Abueva’s numbers, the whole team pitched in whatever way they can.

Enter point guard Chris Banchero, who is listed at a generous 6-foot-2, grabbing a team-high seven rebounds and practically setting the tone for the Aces’ 88-84 win over Blackwater.

“It was a big game, Calvin wasn’t there,” said Banchero Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “We got to step up when one of our star players isn’t there.”

“We told everyone that we had to step up because Calvin averages 10, 11 rebounds a game so we have to step up in his absence and that’s what happens when people step up.”

Banchero also finished with a conference-high 16 points but was quick to defer the credit to his teammates.

Vic Manuel matched Banchero’s 16 points while also grabbing six boards with Kevin Racal and Jeron Teng scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively.

“I thought Racs played better than I did, Vic played incredibly and he had a big second half,” said Banchero. “We got to play like that, it was a good game, and another win for us.”