Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 3) – Spitfire guard Juami Tiongson and the Terrafirma Dyip caught another big fish on Friday in its 95-90 win over defending champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The win by Terrafirma is the team’s first ever victory against Ginebra since the Columbian Autocar Corporation-owned franchise entered the PBA in 2014. The league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon said the Dyip are 0-16 overall against Ginebra prior to the game.
“We won not because of Juami, but because of all the players. We are helping each other to win this game,” Terrafirma head coach Johnedel Cardel said.
Tiongson tallied an unforgettable game with franchise-record and career-high milestones in scoring and three-point shooting. He converted nine out of the team’s 17 three-point shots to finish with 31 points, three rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
“I just had to do what we have to do. Everyone did their part and everyone did their role. This win wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for them,” the former Ateneo Blue Eagle said.
Both squads are engaging in a tight battle in the first half, but Terrafirma started to pull away in the third quarter from combined efforts of Tiongson, team captain Rashawn McCarthy, and Reden Celda.
In the latter part of the fourth quarter, Ginebra cooled down Terrafirma as veteran guard LA Tenorio shot two consecutive treys and big man Christian Standhardinger converted two foul shots to have a one-possession deficit, 85-88.
McCarthy hit a crucial three with 50 seconds remaining in the game for a 91-85 lead by Terrafirma.
Japeth Aguilar, who scored 16 points in the match, responded with an inside shot for a 87-91 deficit.
Dyip’s Eric Camson, who had an above-par offensive outing with 15 points, converted a lay-up after teammate Andreas Cahilig stole the ball from a Standhardinger rebound that slipped out of the Ginebra slotman’s hands.
Ginebra guard Stanley Pringle made a three-point shot with seven seconds remaining to trim Terrafirma’s lead to three, 90-93.
Tiongson sealed the milestone victory by shooting all two free-throw shots, with two seconds before the buzzer sounded.
Terrafirma becomes the first team to post back-to-back wins against San Miguel and Ginebra in consecutive games since 2012, added Mangonon.
The Dyip beat a star-studded Beermen lineup, 110-104, last Sept. 1 in the first day of the league’s resumption after taking a break for about a month due to the COVID-19 threat in the country. Tiongson led Terrafirma down the stretch with 28 points, 16 of which are from rainbow shots.
Terrafirma is now 2-0 since the league resumed its play this week, the team’s first winning streak since the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup, after losing their first four games.
The Dyip achieved the feat despite missing the services of 2021 PBA Draft top pick Joshua Munzon, who will no longer play in the conference due to a dislocated left pinky finger.
The Scores:
TERRAFIRMA 95 – Tiongson 31, Camson 15, Ramos 11, McCarthy 10, Ganuelas-Rosser 7, Cahilig 5, Celda 5, Gabayni 5, Laput 2, Calvo 2, Batiller 2
GINEBRA 90 – Standhardinger 17, J.Aguilar 16, Tenorio 14, Thompson 12, Pringle 11, Caperal 11, Ayaay 5, Mariano 2, Salado 2, Tolentino 0, Enriquez 0
Quarterscores: 22-23, 51-46, 78-65, 95-90
