MANILA, Philippines - Coca-Cola finally sprang back to life, making a big turnaround in the fourth quarter as it repulsed Purefoods, 93-79, for its first win in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
Dennis Espino, Dale Singson and Norman Gonzales dished out their worthiest game in Coke’s red-and-white jersey, helping the team snap a three-game losing run and into the win column.
Singson, a former UST player reactivated from semi-retirement, scored five crucial points that highlighted a decisive fourth-quarter run that had the Tigers erasing an eight-point deficit and winning with plenty to spare.
The Tigers completed their comeback from a big 16-point deficit in the third period, dealing the Giants their second loss in four starts.
“We finally showed a sense of urgency and refused to lose even though we’re struggling,” said Coca-Cola coach Kenneth Duremdes.
“The veterans gave us a lift. They played with composure and we’re able to limit our errors,” added Duremdes whose team is No. 1 in the league in errors, committing 28 an outing before this game.
Against the Giants, the Tigers limited themselves to 14 as they executed their plays well, especially in the final period where they beat their opponents by 20 at 32-12.
Singson played quality minutes in the final half, coming through with a key five-point binge on 2-of-2 field-goal (a triple and a twinner) shooting in a run that pushed the Tigers up front, 80-73. He was, however, pulled out after hurting his hamstring in the closing minutes.
The Tigers clinched the win as ace guard Alex Cabagnot rifled in a three-pointer that made it 85-78 with a little over a minute left to play in the contest.
Gonzales and Espino, two Coke recruits from Sta. Lucia Realty, paced the Tigers with 17 and 15 points, respectively. The two frontliners also combined for 12 rebounds and three assists.
Wesley Gonzales, a transferee from San Miguel, also made his presence felt, contributing 13 points, seven rebounds and one assist.
The Tigers struggled in their first three games with injuries to Asi Taulava, Mark Macapagal and Ric Calimag.
In a helter-skelter play in the closing seconds of the second quarter, Espino grabbed the looseball and drew a foul from Rico Maierhofer in the act of shooting. The 6-foot-6 Coke slotman made the two foul shots to force a 36-all tie at halftime.
The Giants took the early initiative, leading by seven, 16-9, before the Tigers got into the groove, fighting Purefoods through four deadlocks and two lead changes in the first two quarters of play.