Shawn Daniels put up a triple-double effort spiked by 22 rebounds to offset Compton’s 38-point explosion as the Express avenged a loss to the Dragons in their previous tiff, enhancing their bid for at least an outright seat in the quarterfinals after the double-round-robin eliminations.
The Express lost a 14-point spread on the Compton-led Welcoat charge in the fourth quarter but steadied up at the finish, pounding the boards relentlessly to salvage their eighth win in 11 outings.
Cashing in on crucial offensive rebounds, the Express capped the contest with a 7-0 run, sending the Dragons reeling to their eighth loss against two wins.
"This is one of those nights that the goal is like a size of hula-hoop for Alex. We just couldn’t stop him. I don’t know if we solved our problem by putting KG Canaleta and Arwind Santos on him but his shots didn’t fall at endgame," said Air21 coach Bo Perasol.
Compton went 7-of-11 from the three-point area as he ran rings around Wynne Arboleda, Jimwell Torion, Aris Dimaunahan and Gary David before Perasol decided to call on tall wingmen Canaleta and Santos.
Unfortunately for the Dragons, Compton rose to the occasion but not Robert Sanders who got into foul trouble early and committed crucial booboos in the closing seconds.
Sanders even lost two possessions to Daniels in the last 20 seconds to hasten their defeat and put for naught Compton’s fiery game.
"I would rather score only five points but we come out the winner," said Compton later on.
Purefoods Tender Juicy snapped a two-game skid and broke free from a three-way logjam at seventh place with a 103-89 victory over Red Bull in the second game.
The former St. Joseph and Cornell U player remembered scoring a couple of 39 points in the defunct MBA. He said his team won on both occasions.
Compton and the Dragons slid deeper down the cellar on their fourth straight loss.
"I’m playing only one conference in the PBA, that’s why I want to make my stint a little longer. I want to make to the playoffs and I think it’s still doable," said Compton.
The Express are on much safer ground. The team in fact is even in strong contention for an outright semis entry.
Air21 bolstered its bid by dominating the boards, 61-42. Daniels accounted for 22 rebounds that went with 17 points and 11 assists in his second triple-double effort in the tourney.