KEVIN Ferrer showed a glimpse of his vintage form in the offseason, leading Terrafirma to a 112-108 win over NorthPort in a tune-up game on Wednesday at the Winterpine basketball court in Quezon City.
Terrafirma vs NorthPort tune-up game
The 30-year-old gunner knocked down eight three-pointers in the first three quarters, then completed a key three-point play in the fourth quarter on the way to finishing with 32 points against the team that traded him to the Dyip last January.
“Kasi offseason, kailangan namin mag-build pa ng teamwork at chemistry,” Ferrer said after the game.
“Since na-trade ako, okay naman yung patungo nila sa’kin,” he added of the Dyip. “Pakikisama nandyan naman. Everything, binibigyan ako ng role, okay naman. So far, happy ako.”
Juami Tiongson picked up from where he left off in the last season, firing 29 points, while Javi Gomez de Liaño added 17 points.
Isaac Go contributed five points in his first competitive game since tearing his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) 10 months ago.
Terrafirma 3x3 players Shaq Alanes and Jeremiah Taladua added six and four points, respectively, making the most of their promotion to the 5-on-5 team.
“Even though it’s a no-bearing game, we started on the winning track, so at least yung mga bata, yung confidence level nila, umangat,” Dyip coach Johnedel Cardel said ahead of his team’s opening game in the PBA on Tour against Converge on May 26, Friday, at the Ynares Arena in Pasig.
Wendell Comboy, an unrestricted free agent trying out for the Batang Pier, showed he deserves a roster spot by scoring a team-high 19 points.
Paul Zamar tallied 18 points, while MJ Ayaay and JM Calma added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Batang Pier coach Bonnie Tan also fielded his Letran star in Fran Yu, who is expected to enter the PBA Draft and is eligible to play in the preseason according to league rules, scoring 12 points.
NorthPort opens its On Tour campaign against Meralco on Wednesday, also at the Ynares Arena.
The scores:
TERRAFIRMA 112 – Ferrer 32, Tiongson 29, De Liaño 17, Calvo 7, Alanes 6, Go 5, Ramos 4, Cahilig 4, Grospe 4, Taladua 4
NORTHPORT 108 – Comboy 19, Zamar 18, Ayaay 14, Calma 12, Yu 12, Sobrevega 9, Chan 7, Salado 6, Caperal 4, Bulawan 3, Gabriel 2, Gotladera 2
Quarterscores: 24-27, 63-47, 90-79, 112-108
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