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    NLEX leans on Ashaolu, Tallo to drub NorthPort for win No. 2

    NLEX continues to amaze in Guiao absence, drubs NorthPort for win No. 2
    Aug 19, 2018
    PHOTO: Marlo Cueto

    ANTIPOLO - Olu Ashaolu continued to fight through pain as he led NLEX to a 123-107 win over NorthPort on Sunday - the team's second win in as many games in a surprising start to its PBA Governors Cup campaign.

    Ashaolu showed no signs of a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in a tune-up game, triggering a third-quarter rally for a Road Warriors side missing coach Yeng Guiao and veteran slotman Asi Taulava.

    "It's a nice start. But we're not fooling ourselves. We won the first game and everyone was feeling really good. I told the guys that sometines we have to stop listening to those who are saying we're good," said stand-in coach Jojo Lastimosa.

    "I love our defense tonight. We struggled because we looked for our offense so I told them that at halftime," he added.

    Ashaolu finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds in a game where Lastimosa bared that he was playing with a 70 percent tear.

    The locals followed suit with five of them breaching double digits led by Mac Tallo and Larry Fonacier who scored 14 apiece against a NorthPort side that played without Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony.

    The bench also played a huge part in the win, with Kenneth Ighalo, Jr Quinahan and Juami Tiongson combining for 33 points.

    With the Batang Pier quickly cutting a double digit lead before the first half ended, the Nigerian-Canadian reinforcement joined forces with Tallo and Michael Miranda to once again take control of the game.

    The closest the Batang Pier ever got was at the 4:51 mark of the fourth quarter, when a Rashad Woods jumper trimmed the lead to nine, 104-95.

    But the Road Warriors had a ready answer in the form of Ighalo, who made back-to-back three-pointers in a span of eight seconds to put the Road Warriors inexorably ahead, 110-95.

    The NorthPort loss put to waste Woods' impressive production of 42 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

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    The scores:

    NLEX 123 - Ashaolu 27, Fonacier 14, Tallo 14, Quinahan 12, Ighalo 12, Mallari 10, Baguio 8, Paniamogan 5, Galanza 4, Marcelo 4, Miranda 4.

    NorthPort 107 - Woods 42, Tautuaa 20, Taha 15, Grey 13, Javelona 8, Teng 5, Guinto 3, Elorde 1, Espinas 0, Gabayni 0

    Quarters: 34-19, 61-58, 84-78, 123-107

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    PHOTO: Marlo Cueto
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