Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Alaska Aces relied on their primary weapon to ward off GlobalPort Batang Pier, 100-76, in Game 2 of their Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on Wednesday (January 6).
After a swashbuckling first half, the Aces put up an airtight defense in the next two quarters on their way to tying the best-of-seven affair at one game apiece at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
So tight was Alaska’s defense that it limited a high-octane team like GlobalPort to 32 points in the second half while dropping 53 markers.
“You have to do the difficult things consistently. Guarding them was difficult,” Alaska coach Alex Compton said of the Batang Pier, a team bannered by the deadly backcourt duo of Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo.
Romeo, who erupted with a career-high 41 points in the series opener, scored only two points in the final 24 minutes after dropping 18 at the half.
Pringle fired 15 of his total output of 22 points in the last two periods, but it wasn’t enough to help his team get over the hump.
Chris Banchero topscored for Alaska with 18 points, while RJ Jazul had 17.
JVee Casio, Calvin Abueva, and Sonny Thoss combined for 34 markers.
In the curtain-raiser, the clash was marred by an altercation that saw both teams slapped with a total of 13 technical fouls in one incident.
But Compton said it was just an indication of how bad both squads wanted to win.
“We’re just playing. Guys got tangled up and lumabas yung machismo,” said Compton.
