The San Miguel Beermen woke up from a sluggish start to dispatch the GlobalPort Batang Pier, 115-112, in a come-from-behind win in the Oppo PBA Governors’ Cup Friday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Import Wendell McKines registered 35 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and four blocks in an all-around effort to help the Beermen, who played their first game in three weeks, erase a 12-point deficit in the second half.
Arwind Santos contributed 30 points sparked by seven three-pointers to go along with eight rebounds and five blocks while Alex Cabagnot scored 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Beermen who improved to 3-1.
San Miguel showed some rust in the early goings after trailing 8-0 in the opening minutes.
GlobalPort capitalized on San Miguel’s slow start and eventually widened the gap to as many as 12, 76-64, in the third quarter.
The Beermen then flipped the switch and went on to score 12 unanswered points to tie the game. Cabagnot’s and-one before the buzzer handed San Miguel an 84-81 lead entering the fourth quarter.
San Miguel then took control, 110-102, with over three minutes left but GlobalPort had its chances. The Batang Pier made it a three-point game, 114-111, with just 1:04 left after timely hits by Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle.
Santos had the opportunity to ice the win after being sent to the line with 14 seconds left. However, he missed all of his two attempts from the stripe.
Aiming to avoid a GlobalPort triple, the Beermen fouled Pringle who only made one out of two free throws.
But Santos muffed another freebie in his next trip to the line, opening the door for a potential game-tying trey from the Batang Pier.
But GlobalPort couldn’t get a good look, with Murphy Holloway missing a tough go-ahead triple on the break.
Romeo, who came back from his Gilas Pilipinas stint, had 26 points to lead GlobalPort.
Holloway tallied 25 points and 23 rebounds, as Pringle made 24 points for the Batang Pier who slid to 2-3.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 115 – McKines 35, Santos 30, Cabagnot 27, Lassiter 10, Espinas 8, Fajardo 4, Tubid 1, Ross 0, Rosser 0, Heruela 0, De Ocampo 0.
GLOBALPORT 112 – Romeo 26, Holloway 25, Pringle 24, Baracael 11, Anthony 10, Arana 7, Mamaril 4, Pennisi 3, Guinto 2, Cortez 0, Hubalde 0.
Quarters: 21-25, 45-57, 84-81, 115-112.
