Coach Robert Sison and his Negros Slashers play the LBC Batangas Blades in today’s Game 4, vowing a repeat of their awesome performance last weekend to level the series at 2-2 in the 2001 MBA National Finals at the USLS Gym in Bacolod City.
"We are an inspired team after our win in Game 3," said Sison. "I had a serious talk with the team and we are confidently looking at a Game 5 in Lipa City."
Uncharacteristically inconsistent and lacking the desire, the Slashers dropped games 1 (84-87) Wednesday and 2 (74-85) over the weekend.
Scrappy Reynel Hugnatan and rookie Dino Aldeguer were the keys that unlocked the mystery of LBC Batangas’ previous domination early in the series with superb endgame plays.
Hugnatan was like a man-possessed as he produced 20 points and a conference high 20 rebounds while Aldeguer came out with his personal best in the MBA with 15 markers, 13 of them in a pivotal fourth quarter run when Negros pulled away.
away from LBC Batangas.
The win also came on a day the usually reliable John Ferriols, Johnadel Cardel, Chris-Dennis Madrid and Cid White sputtered and Leo Bat-og watched helplessly from the sideline all game due to an ACL injury he suffered in the team’s Game 2 defeat.
Ferriols, the league’s maiden season MVP, was held to just five points while Cardel, Madrid and White combined for only 12 markers, far from Hugnatan’s and Aldeguer’s productions.
But Sison had an instant remedy. "You just have to have faith in these guys because in the end, Ferriols will be Ferriols and Cardel will be Cardel."
While Sison promises an equalizer, LBC Batangas youthful mentor Nash Racela vows for a clincher and an early Christmas celebration for the team which landed in the finals for the first time in four seasons.
"Its really hard to win in Bacolod but I know deep in my heart that we can do it in Game 4," said Racela, who is pinning his hopes on the vaunted trio of Rommel Adducul, Alex Compton and Eddie Laure.
Racela, however, said his team needs some help from players like Peter Martin, Tony Boy Espinosa and Ralph Rivera.
Rivera was limited to just five points while Espinosa, hobbled by a recurring right knee injury, and Martin fired empty slugs the whole of Game 3 as LBC Batangas fell short of its title bid with a sweep.