MANILA, Philippines — Meralco, the PBA’s top defensive team, gave up 48 big points to NLEX’ Robert Bolick, the league’s premier scorer.
But still, the gritty and playoffs-experienced Bolts found ways to put together a 97-93 c omeback victory and a 1-0 lead in the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-three quarterfinal series yesterday.
After allowing Bolick to torch the hoops of the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the first 47 minutes of play, the Meralco cagers shut him down when it mattered most and leaned on Allein Maliksi’s leadership for the finishing touches.
Maliksi knocked down four clutch free throws in the endgame in his 22-point performance as the Bolts came back from as many as 12 points down and laid to waste Bolick’s new career high.
“He’s so good at pic king angles, picking shots and it really takes five guys playing defense on him,” said coach Luigi Trillo, who alternated Anjo Caram, Chris Banchero, Allein Maliksi and even Cliff Hodge on defensive duties against Bolick.
“That’s Robert Bolick for you, first half pa lang umarangkada na siya agad (with 28 points). As a team, we’re not pleased with how we played defense. We have a lot of things to fix in Game 2. We’re not going to the semis if we play defense like that.”
Things started to go Meralco’s way in the third, where an 8-0 closing salvo put it to within two at 73-75. Maliksi, Caram, Bong Quinto and Banchero then went to work in the fourth to complete the job.
Raymond Almazan (15), Caram (14), Banchero (12), Newsome (12) and Quinto (11) also helped offensively for the Bolts, who can close it out on Sunday.
“Credit to everyone. Sabi ko nga before the game, if you’re counting on me, I’m counting on you. Tulong tulong lang and we all wanted to win,” said Maliksi.
Mike Miranda was the only other NLEX player in double figur es outside Bolick, who reset his previous personal best of 46.
MANILA, Philippines — Different divisions, same casts of title protagonists.
In a one-of-a-kind setting, National U and Santo Tomas go for each other’s necks in a royal rumble for the men’s and women’s titles in the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournament today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
What was seen as a wide-open race has boiled down to a tag team duel as National U’s and Santo Tomas’ teams figure in best-of-three mano-a-mano for the first time at least in the Final Four era.
The Lady Bulldogs and the Golden Tigresses begin their waltz at 4 p.m. while the Bulldogs pursue a four-peat bid against the Golden Spikers in a rematch at 2 p.m.
All four squads are raring to growl, roar and unleash their sharpened fangs to draw first blood.
“Nandito na kami, isasagad na namin,” vowed Santo Tomas coach Kungfu Reyes, whose wards probably had the biggest prey on their way to the championship.
Supposedly in transition period following the graduation of long-time ace Eya Laure, the young Golden Tigresses still took the UAAP by storm, gaining a twice-to-beat bonus as the No. 2 seed, which they maximized in eliminating no less than reigning champion La Salle in one attempt, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-7.
It’s the first finals appearance for Santo Tomas in five years while the top-ranked NU had to go through the distance against the fourth-seeded FEU to clinch its third straight finale ticket, 25-13, 27-25, 25-15.
If anything, that adversity has only made the Lady Bulldogs a fiercer and more ready battalion for their title redemption bid after a bridesmaid finish to the Lady Spikers last season.
MANILA, Philippines — Mike Phillips snared the Most Valuable Player plum as EcoOil-La Salle captured a rare three-peat in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup.
La Salle completed a 2-0 sweep of the crippled Centro Escolar U crew with an easy 96-66 win for its third championship in row on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
As Phillips became the second straight Green Archer to win MVP honors after Kevin Quiambao, the Green Archers also rose as only the second team to win three consecutive titles in the D-League after NLEX’ four-peat (2010 to 2013) for a league-best total of six crowns.
Skipper CJ Austria rifled in 19 points in only 21 minutes of play as JC Macalalag, Raven Cortez and Henry Agunanne fired 17, 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Phillips, who registered averages of 12.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks, anchored the middle with 11 markers and 10 boards as the Green Archers tied Cignal as the second-winningest team in the PBA’s developmental league.
La Salle did it by wiping out all rivals in nine outings for a perfect run to follow up its UAAP championship last year.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Lord for giving us this championship. We would like to thank the EcoOil management, the coaching staff and the players,” said assistant coach Gian Nazario in getting the job done after being trusted by head coach Topex Robinson to handle their D-League campaign.
The Green Archers ran away with a 98-76 win in Game 1 and proved no different the next match against the Scorpions side that missed the services of defensive ace Abdul Wahab Olusesi due to a left knee sprain.
MANILA, Philippines — Lauren Hoffman missed the Olympic standard but did enough to rule the women’s 400-meter hurdles of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the PhilSports oval in Pasig yesterday.
Hoffman, 25, went for the Paris Games standard of 54.85 seconds but had a misstep in the late stretch and ended up clocking 55.92, which was still good for her second gold in the meet.
She also came short of breaking the national mark of 55.72 she registered last month at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa in the five-day meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, ICTSI and Milo.
“My legs were a little tired from earlier so I think I didn’t get the time that I wanted but a win is a win and I was able to compete well and I was happy with that,” said Hoffman, who broke the 100m hurdles record Wednesday.
Kristina Knott, in contrast, clocked 11.2 in the morning heats and eclipsed the women’s hand time 100m mark of 11.3 submitted by Lerma Bulauitan Gabito in the National Open in Manila 24 years ago.
But Knott slowed down a bit (11.51) in clinching the gold in the final.
Battle-scarred Eric Cray likewise tried and missed the Paris standard but still dominated the men’s 400m hurdles in 50.51, way ahead of closest pursuer Connor Henderson (54.12).