Valientes rally to beat East Sea Pirates in The Asian Tournament

MANILA, Philippines -- The Zamboanga Valientes stormed back from eight points down in the fourth quarter and held on to secure a 96-90 win over the East Sea Pirates Thursday in The Asian Tournament in Guangdong, China.

Alfaro led Zamboanga with 16 points, six assists and two rebounds.

After holding the lead the majority of the game, Zamboanga trailed by eight, 72-80, early on in the fourth quarter following a pair of free throws by Kascius Small-Martin.

The Valientes then unleashed a 12-0 run capped by a jumper by Peter Alfaro to grab an 84-80 cushion.

Small-Martin halted the run of the Philippine side with a mini 5-0 blitz to give the advantage to the Taiwan squad, 85-84.

The game then turned into a nip-and-tuck affair, with Zamboanga holding a slim 88-87 lead.

Alfaro then sank a big 3-pointer to extend the lead to four, 91-87.

Small-Martin continued his explosive outing, sinking a short jumper to help the Pirates inch closer.

After a technical free throw, Mike Tolomia buried the dagger with a layup, 94-89, with 32.3 seconds left.

A split from the line by Small-Martin slammed the door for any comeback attempt, as Tolomia’s freebies iced the game.

Small-Martin finished with a triple-double for the Pirates, scattering 35 markers, 12 dimes and 10 boards.

The Valientes ended the Guangdong leg of the competition with a 3-2 win-loss record.