Isip makes Barako no longer just an afterthought

MANILA—Coach Junel Baculi has been pressing his players to play solid ball for 48 minutes.     It turned out Barako Bull needed only half the time to get the job done.
    The Energy Boosters were in cruise control the entire second half after creating a comfortable cushion on the way to demolishing the Air21 Express, 89-79, Friday night in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
    Mark Isip scored 17 of his game-high 23 points before halftime while snipers Sunday Salvacion and Aries Dimaunahan torched the hoops from the outside as Baculi’s men picked up their second win in five games.
    In a later game, Barangay Ginebra nailed a third straight victory by ripping Rain or Shine, 90-73, behind the 22 points of Willie Miller.
    The Kings upped their record to 4-2 while the Elasto Painters dropped to 2-4.
    Former Ginebra players Dimaunahan and Salvacion fired a couple of threes and nailed their perimeter jumpers as Barako, up by 13 before that, built a 63-39 advantage fresh off the break.
    “We don’t have stars in this team and the only way to beat other teams is to play solidly for 48 minutes,” said Baculi.
    “I told them that everybody should be ready to give their best while on the floor,” he added.
    Wesley Gonzales tried to infuse life into the Express’ sagging offense by pumping in seven straight points in one stretch, his three-point play reducing the count to a 20-point deficit.
    Ronnie Matias also completed a four-point play and JR Quiñahan buried another triple at the buzzer to trim the deficit to 70-54 at the end of the third.  But the Express failed to make key stops and fell to a 2-3 slate. 
The scores:
First Game
BARAKO BULL 89—Isip 23, Salvacion 15, Dimaunahan 13, Yee 9, Hubalde 8, Cruz 7, Thiele 6, Juntilla 4, Andaya 4, Duncil 0, Wainwright 0. 
AIR21 79—Buenafe 14, Sharma 13, Urbiztondo 10, Quinahan 9, Rodriguez 8, Matias 7, Gonzales 7, Baclao 4, Al-Husseini 4, Arboleda 3, Guevarra 0, Najorda 0.
Quarters: 25-18, 46-33, 72-54, 89-79
Second Game
GINEBRA 90—Miller 22, Tubid 17, Helterbrand 12, Caguioa 11, Hatfield 8, Aquino 6, Cortez 6, Mamaril 3, Villanueva 3, Wilson 2.
RAIN OR SHINE 73—Mercado 10, Reyes 10, Jzul 8, Tang 8, Rodriguez 8, Norwood 6, Chan 6, Arana 5, Cruz 4, Ferriols 4, Vanlandingham 3, Ibanes 1, Kramer 0, Bugia 0.
Quarters: 21-15, 43-37, 69-52, 90-73