GINEBRA import Cedric Bozeman goes up against B-Meg’s Rafi Reavis in their PBA match being played at presstime. RICHARD A. REYES
Jason Forte scored 24 points in the second half and LA Tenorio finished with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists as Alaska routed Barako Bull, 104-84, yesterday for its first win in the PBA Governors’ Cup under new coach Luigi Trillo at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Gabby Espinas and Cyrus Baguio accounted for 18 and 14, respectively, as the Aces broke away in the second half to get back on track after being manhandled by Rain or Shine in the inaugurals.
B-Meg also barged into the winner’s row as the Llamados downed the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, 96-88, in the second game.
All four teams in last night’s schedule wound up with 1-1 cards.
Forte, who is seeing action for the Aces for the second straight year, wound up with 29 markers and 16 rebounds.
“It’s nice to get the monkey off (my) back,” Trillo, appointed in an interim capacity more than two weeks ago after Joel Banal resigned, said. “The first win is the hardest for a coach.”
Trillo endured two seasons without a win in 29 games in the UAAP while handling Adamson from 2000 to 2002.
“We got back to our comfort zone in this game,” B-Meg coach Tim Cone, second in the all-time list for most titles won with 14, told reporters later after getting 21 points from PJ Simon and 18 from James Yap. The Llamados lost, 94-100, in overtime to Rain or Shine on Friday.
Cedric Bozeman led the Gin Kings with 30 and 10 rebounds and Kerby Raymundo had his best game as a King with 20, but Ginebra fell to 1-1 after no one else scored more than eight points.
Reyes picks five PH cagers
Meanwhile, National team head coach Chot Reyes, after failing to get the commitment from five players belonging to B-Meg and Petron Blaze, has added five new names to the Philippine cage pool pending the blessings of their mother teams.
JV Casio of Powerade, Jared Dillinger of Talk ‘N Text, Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine, Mac Baracael of Alaska and Sol Mercado of Meralco have been included to the pool and will join 11 of the 16 players originally named by Reyes.
James Yap and Marc Pingris of B-Meg, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot and Marcio Lassiter of Petron did not submit their signed letters of commitment and have been stricken off the list.
The scores:
First Game
ALASKA 104—Forte 29, Tenorio 21, Espinas 18, Baguio 14, Baracael 8, Thoss 6, Dela Cruz 4, Custodio 2, Gelig 2, Eman 0, Gonzales 0, Sotto 0.
BARAKO 84—Peterson 19, Seigle 15, Miller 14, Najorda 9, Allado 7, Arboleda 6, Sharma 4, Tubid 3, Salvacion 3, Kramer 2, Cruz 2, Cervantes 0.
Quarters: 20-12, 42-36, 76-63, 104-84
Second Game
B-MEG 96—Simon 21, Yap 18, De Ocampo 16, Blakely 13, Intal 10, Villanueva 6, Reavis 6, Barroca 4, Urbiztondo 2, Gaco 0.
GINEBRA 88—Bozeman 30, Raymundo 20, Caguioa 8, Maliksi 7, Canaleta 7, Cortez 6, Hatfield 6, Villanueva 4, Wilson J. 0, Wilson W. 0.
Quarters: 24-22, 51-39, 72-66, 96-88