By JAY R. GOTERA
MANILA — The TNT KaTropa Texters overwhelmed the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the fourth quarter to prevail, 108-103, in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night.
Veteran gunner Ranidel de Ocampo led the Texters with 22 points, 15 of them in the final period when TNT unleashed a devastating 27-8 run that erased a 14-point Ginebra lead at the start of the quarter. De Ocampo also finished with seven rebounds and four assists.
Rookie Roger Pogoy also made a huge splash, scoring 15 points, grabbing crucial rebounds and playing tough defense in the endgame. His two free throws gave TNT a 106-103 lead with just 20.5 seconds left.
Larry Fonacier also tallied 15 markers as TNT won its first game in the conference after an opening game loss against Rain or Shine last Wednesday.
Ginebra suffered its first defeat after winning the PBA Governors’ Cup championship against the Meralco Bolts last October.
The Texters won despite their top gunner Jayson Castro sitting on the bench in civvies, still recuperating from fatigue.
LA Tenorio paced Ginebra with 27 points but scored just three points in the final quarter. Japeth Aguilar and Joe Devance added 15 apiece while Scottie Thompson and Chris Ellis chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Blackwater 86, Meralco 84
Rookie Mac Belo sparkled once again for Blackwater, scoring a team-high 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting to power the Elite past the Meralco Bolts, 86-84.
Belo, who scored 17 points in his first game in the PBA last Wednesday, also shone on the defensive end, blocking a Meralco shot in the final minute with the score tied at 84-all.
Veteran guard Denok Miranda then scored the winning basket on a difficult drive with four seconds left in the game to hand the Elite their second straight win in the conference. Miranda finished with 11 points and a team-high seven assists.
Thus, the league perennial doormat is now the solo leader in the team standings.
After scoring just four points in the first half, Belo exploded in the second half, pouring in 21 markers, 12 of them in the final quarter in a remarkable performance for a rookie.
Belo, the leading scorer in the new Gilas squad, nailed a three-pointer with 1:40 left in the game to knot the count at 84-apiece.
The 6’3” former collegiate standout then made two defensive gems by blocking a shot by Reynel Hugnatan under the basket and then recovering possession for the Elite.
Games Wednesday: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (1-0) vs. Mahindra Flood Busters (0-1) and Phoenix Fuel Masters (0-1) vs. San Miguel Beermen (1-0).
