Chan takes charge as Visayas selection trounces Smart All-Stars
MANILA, Philippines — The Visayas selection leaned on Bacolod's very own Jeffrei Chan to hold off a valiant stand by Calvin Abueva and the Smart All-Stars, 157-141, in the culmination of the PBA All-Star weekend at the University of San Agustin gym in Iloilo City on Sunday night.
Chan scattered 29 points, nine of which coming in the decisive second period — to lead the Visayans in scoring. Terrence Romeo reprised his hot scoring from the last two stops of the mid-season joust with 27.
True-blue Ilonggos James Yap and Ronald Tubid figured in the second half, helping the hometown heroes weather Abueva's team-best 41 points.
Yap drilled a trey halfway through the third period to help the lead balloon to its biggest at 20 points.
Kiefer Ravena, NLEX's prized rookie and one of the league's most recognizable stars, missed the chance of playing in front of his hometown crowd. He was pulled out by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas due to undisclosed reasons. The body's president Al Panlilo told the STAR's Nelson Beltran that the cager is due for a press conference on Monday.
Matthew Wright managed to cut it down to just 10 as the game wound down, but his efforts came in just a tad too late.
Iloilo City-born and raised Emman Monfort scored the penultimate basket for the Visayas crew through a dunk assisted by the Cebuano behemoth and league MVP himself, June Mar Fajardo.
The Smart All-Stars, if it's any consolation, won Sunday's dance-off, their first in the weeklong revelries.
Chan took home the game's Most Valuable Player hardware.
The PBA selection compiled a total of two wins over their National counterparts, whose only win came in the Batangas leg.
The scores:
VISAYAS 157 - Chan 29, Romeo 27, Cruz 20, Yap 17, Tubid 15, Fajardo 14, Slaughter 11, Ross 8, Quinahan 7, Monfort 5, Taulava 4.
SMART 141 - Abueva 41, Wright 28, Aguilar 20, Pogoy 15, Rosario 13, Belo 12, Castro 8, Norwood 2, Jalalon 2.
Quarters: 33-36; 80-73; 115-103; 157-141.
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