Chris Pacana

Rookie combo at the forefront anew

Solomon Mercado and Gabe Norwood combined for 28 points and six steals as the rookie tandem powered Rain or Shine to its second win in three games in Group A with a 69-64 win over Barangay Ginebra on Saturday in the PBA Pre-Season Tournament at the San Sebastian College-Recoletos gym in Cavite City.

The Elasto Painters survived a fourth quarter meltdown by racking up 12 straight points that took away the momentum from the charging Kings, who wound up their stint in this two-week tournament with a 0-3 mark.

Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia said he is pleased with the result of their last two games but readily confessed "we still need more jelling and consistency."

The Elasto Painters open their campaign in the league's 34th season on October 5 against Air21, runner-up in last season's Fiesta Conference, and the mild mannered Garcia is optimistic his troops will be in "good shape as long as they know their roles."

After falling behind by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, the Kings picked up their rhythm in the third period enabling them to get back into the game.

The scored see-sawed in the fourth quarter and the Kings appeared to have seized momentum when Berne Franco scored off a Willie Wilson pass for a 59-57 lead with 5:27 to go.

But the Kings just couldn't hang on.

Both teams traded turnovers before Mercado (15 points, 3 steals) hit a penalty free throw and Rob Wainwright (11 points, 7 rebounds), who took over from Norwood (13 points, 3 steals), buried a huge three that brought the Elasto Painters back on top and highlight the team's decisive 12-0 run.

Chris Pacana had 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting but he was the only player in double figures among the Kings, who shot just 36 percent from the field. (DBC)

The scores:

Rain or Shine 69 – Mercado 15, Norwood 13, Wainwright 11, Andaya 8, Salansang 7, Isip 4, Laure 3, Reyes 3, Arana 3, Tang 2, Dulay 0, Ibanes 0, Lopez 0, Ejercito 0.

Ginebra 64 – Pacana 16, Gavino 8, Espiritu 8, Franco 8, Crisano 6, Wilson 5, Holper 4, Escalona 4, Aquino 3, Artadi 2, Cabatu 0.

Quarterscores: 25-11; 34-24; 50-47; 69-64.

Credits: SunStar Cebu

THE Coca Cola Tigers outlasted the Welcoat Dragons, 92-86, in yesterday’s Talk N’ Text 2006 PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tigers, who played without Ali Peek, Will Antonio and Neil Raneses, clawed their way back into the game after falling behind by 11 points with a roaring endgame rally.

Allan Salangsang and Chris Pacana starred in the Tigers’ come-from-behind victory as their heroics in the last two minutes of the final quarter allowed Coca Cola to steal the glory from the Dragons.

Salangsang dished out a double-double performance as he tallied a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Pacana etched a career-high of 18 points in helping the Tigers secure the victory.

Rob Wainwright stretched the Dragons’ edge to five points, 80-75, after completing a three-point play but Pacana replied with a booming trey in the next play and teammate Joseph Yeo made a lay-up off a Dragons miss to level the count to 80-all in the last 2:12.

That turned out to be the turning point of the game as the Tigers made another five-to-nothing spurt courtesy of Pacana’s three-point bomb and Denok Miranda’s twinner in the last 1:15.

The Dragons refused to give up as Jojo Tangkay replied with a three-point conversion in the ensuing play, keeping his team in the thick of things as time dwindled down to 1:12 with Welcoat just behind by two, 83-85.

Endgame

Salangsang, who was five-of-eight in the three-point area, however, took charge in the endgame as he pulled another trey with only 54 ticks left seconds left to seal the win.

“With only nine men to shuffle, I just told the boys to cling together and work together. If we could do that, something good might happen,” said Coca-Cola coach Binky Favis, who worked the game without veteran center Ali Peek (injured knee) and shooters Antonio (groin injury) and Raneses (family problem).

“Sometimes when you work hard, you get lucky,” Favis added.

Their only third win in seven games was a breather for the Tigers who went into the game still reeling from a 75-102 blowout against Barangay Ginebra last Thursday and a 71-81 defeat against the Dragons last Oct.8.

Thanks to Salangsang, who made the big shots when they needed it, Coke was able to avenge that upset loss against Welcoat in their first meeting.

It was another frustrating game for Welcoat, which controlled the game throughout only to blow it in the closing minutes. The Dragons fell to a 2-5 (win-loss) card with their third straight loss.

Last Friday, The Dragons also went down in defeat against the Red Bull Barakos, 77-80, after leading by as many as 17 points.

Jojo Tangkay scored 25 points to show the way for the Dragons. (JAF with PBA Media Bureau)