Giv Beauty pounds Pharmaquick, 85-70

Giv Beauty Soap, formerly Blu Detergents, overcame a sluggish start with a fiery windup as it turned back Pharmaquick, 85-70, yesterday in the PBL Chairman’s Cup at the Makati Coliseum.

Ernesto Billiones, now playing more comfortably at No. 2 with the arrival of two new pointguards, scattered 11 of his game high 25 points in the final quarter to power the team to the victory.

Four other teammates churned out double-digit scores for Giv Beauty Soap but it was PBL returnee Joseph Gumatay who stood out in the final quarter as he quarterbacked for the team with clockwork precision before finishing with 16 points, eight assists and three rebounds.

In the other game, Shark Energy Drink, the 2000 PBL Challenge Cup titlist, weathered Ana Freezers’ rally down the stretch as it hammered out a 70-61 win to grab the solo lead with a 2-0 slate.

"Although bago pa lang is Ogie (Gumatay) sa team, maganda ang adjustment na pinakita niya sa larong ito, siya ‘yung nagdala ng team nung kumawala kami," said Giv coach Nat Canson.

The Soap Masters trailed the Drug Specialists majority of the game, falling by as many as eight points in the third quarter, 36-44. But Billiones, Gumatay, Edwin Bacani and Marlon Legaspi put their act together, triggering a wild Giv run that Pharmaquick failed to stop.