ÀNTIPOLO - Juami Tiongson went on a first-half scoring spree and guided Terrafirma to its first win of the PBA season, 97-87, over Blackwater on Wednesday night.
Tiongson exploded for 16 of his game-high 25 points in the first two quarters to set the tone of the match as the Dyip evened their record at 1-1 in the Commissioner's Cup.
Tiongson added eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, while shooting 9-of-20 from the field. He later deflected the credit to teammates for his consistent showing so far early in the season.
“Hinahanap ako lagi ng teammates ko. Pino-force feed nila ako, sometimes to a fault na nga kasi pinipilit ko na yung sarili ko, pinipilit ko na yung game ko, sometimes di na nakakatulong,” said Terrafirma’s main man.
“Pero credit to them hinahanap pa rin nila ako.”
The Dyip lost to Northport Batang Pier in their debut game, 108-103, despite leading by as many as 10 points in the second half.
It appeared the team was about to commit the same mistake again after seeing its 50-40 lead at the break trimmed to just five entering the fourth period.
But Tiongson along with rookie big man Kemark Carino conspired for Terrafirma’s strong finishing kick and handed the Bossing their second straight loss after a winning debut.
Lesson learned
“Yung last game namin against Northport was a lesson. We led by 10 points, but we relaxed and they (players) didn’t follow the instructions of the coaches,” said Dyip coach Johnedel Cardel.
“This time, we led again by 10 points, so sinabi ko na sa kanila yun,” he added. “Yung third and fourth quarters were important for us, so we just stayed focus on what we did in the first half.”
Sophomore wingman Juan Gomez De Liano was also a solid contributor for Terrafirma, shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points, while import Thomas Hugo De Thaey stayed away from foul trouble this time to produce a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Mike Ayonayon was the leading scorer for Blackwater with 16 points, and import Chris Ortiz had an all-around game of 15 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
The scores:
Terrafirma (97) - Tiongson 25, De Liano 17, De Thaey 15, Carino 10, Holt 7, Camson 7, Ramos 4, Alolino 3, Calvo 3, Daquioag 3, Cahilig 3, Olivario 0, Go 0, Mina 0.
Blackwater (87) - Ayonayon 16, Ortiz 15, Suerte 13, Digregorio 11, Rosario 10, Casio 6, David 5, McCarthy 4, Hill 3, Ular 2, Guinto 2, Banal 0, Escoto 0.
Quarterscores: 24-22; 50-40; 69-64; 97-87.
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