SAN Miguel Alab Pilipinas survived a scare from Mono Vampire on Sunday night, pulling off a 110-100 overtime triumph in the 2019 Asean Basketball League (ABL) on Sunday at Sta. Rosa Multipurpose Complex in Laguna.
PJ Ramos was unstoppable down low in extra time, scoring six straight points before a Renaldo Balkman fastbreak basket and Bobby Ray Parks' runner put the game away for the hosts.
Balkman energized Alab with 38 points as the Filipinos won on their home court for the seventh straight time and rose to 8-2 (win-loss) record.
The Puerto Rican reinforcement also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists, and stole the ball four times in the big victory.
"We stuck until the end and we pulled off the win," said Balkman as Alab went 7-0 at home and continued their mastery of their Thai foes in their first meeting since last season's championship series.
Staring at a 58-45 deficit, Balkman and Caelan Tiongson conspired in a telling 16-3 run to finish the third quarter to get the lead back, 63-61 and set up the nip-and-tuck affair in the payoff period.
Freddie Lish drilled a gutsy triple with 1:30 to play put Mono ahead, 85-84, but Balkman answered with a basket of his own to give Alab the one-point lead, 86-85 with 47.9 seconds remaining.
Former GlobalPort import Malcolm White split his freebies to knot the score at 86 with 32.2 ticks left, as Ramos and Mike Singletary both missed their potential game-winners at the end of regulation.
But it was all Alab in extra time as White fouled out at the 4:43 mark, leaving Mono with a big hole down low which Balkman and Ramos willingly seized.
Tiongson added 17 points, two rebounds, and two assists, Bobby Ray Parks got 16 points, six boards, four assists, and two steals, and PJ Ramos had 15 points and seven rebounds for Alab.
Singletary topped Mono Vampire with 36 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and an assist, as White got 25 and six.
Jason Brickman added 22 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds in the losing cause as the Thai side sunk to 2-10.
The Scores:
SAN MIGUEL ALAB PILIPINAS 110 -- Balkman 38, Tiongson 17, Parks 16, Ramos 15, Alvano 10, Domingo 7, Urbiztondo 3, Javelona 2, Rosser 2.
MONO VAMPIRE 100 -- Singletary 36, White 25, Brickman 22, Morgan 9, Chanthachon 4, Lish 3, Saengtong 1, Apiromvilaichai 0, Klahan 0, Ananti 0.
Quarters: 18-23, 41-48, 59-62, 86-86, 110-100.
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