ANTIPOLO - Terrafirma pulled off a stunner in the PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup, taking down NLEX, 97-91, to end a winless slump that stretched over half a year on Sunday at the Ynares Center.
New acquisition Jerrick Ahanmisi made the game's most important basket as the Dyip won for the first time in 190 days, having gone without a victory since besting Phoenix, 95-87, last April 5 in their 49th Season Philippine Cup opener.
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Rookie JM Bravo, selected in the sixth round (No. 56 overall) in the Season 50 draft, topscored for the Dyip with 18 points including two free throws that gave them the biggest lead at 78-62 early in the fourth quarter
An NLEX comeback and typical Terrafirma errors saw the gap cut to one basket. 93-91, with 59 seconds to go, but Ahanmisi steadied the Dyip with a layup on other end.
The Dyip's first win in two games was also the first for Ronald Tubid as a PBA head coach,
Terrafirma bounced back just two days after its 107-87 defeat to Blackwater on Friday at the Ynares Center-Montalban.
NLEX lost to the perennial league minnows just four days after defeating reigning champion San Miguel, 85-84, last Wednesday in the same venue.
After Ahanmisi's lay-up at the 37.1-second mark of the contest, Bravo made the insurance field goal to settle the final score for the Dyip.
“We all know this is a very young team. ‘Yung team na ito, fast-track ang preparations. Almost a month lang ang preparation. Tinatiyaga namin. Kung saan kami strong, doon kami. As long as we compete, may chance manalo talaga,” said Tubid
Ahanmisi scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Paolo Hernandez and Didat Hanapi chipped in 13 points apiece for the Dyip, who also got 13 assists from Mark Nonoy.
JB Bahio added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Road Warriors.
The scores:
Terrafirma 97 – Bravo 18, Ahanmisi 14, Hernandez 13, Hanapi 13, Sangalang 11, Nonoy 6, Paraiso 6, Olivario 5, Rivero 4, Zaldivar 3, Catapusan 2, Garcia 2.
NLEX 91 – Bahio 14, Torres 14, Ramirez 13, Policarpio 13, Semerad 12, Alas 7, Valdez 6, Amer 5, Nieto 3, Herndon 3, Marcelo 1, Rodger 0.
Quarters: 24-24; 46-41; 74-62; 97-91.
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