MANILA, 23 March 2006 — Barangay Ginebra is having problems scoring.
And that’s putting it mildly.
The Gin Kings took a second straight loss flush on the chin last night after being held to just 56 markers by the Purefoods Chunkee Giants in an elimination round game of the PBA Philippine Cup.
Eugene Tejada, an obscure Fil-American, had a breakout game that took a long time in coming, shooting a career-best 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting off the bench in a 73-56 Purefoods victory.
It was the second consecutive setback for the Kings on the second straight night that their high-profile, high-scoring lineup was held below 60 markers. Ginebra dropped into a tie with Purefoods with 2-2 slates and more than the losses, how they dropped this one is alarming.
San Miguel, which is also ay 2-2, tore the Kings to shreds last week in a 77-59 victory as Ginebra has averaged only 57.5 points in its last two outings, really unusual for a side that is teeming with a lot of scorers.
“They are just having problems scoring, that’s very obvious,” Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said. “Things like that sometimes happen. But knowing that team, it will come back. We were pretty lucky to be on the other end tonight, just when they are still trying to figure out what’s wrong (with their offense).”
Meanwhile, Red Bull held Sta. Lucia without a field goal in the final five minutes earlier and the Bulls pounded out a 104-90 victory to improve to 2-1.
Mick Pennisi stood out, hitting a three-pointer to cap a string of five straight points that cooled off the Realtors’ desperate rally as Red Bull won a second straight game after dropping its opening day assignment.
“There’s nothing new in the way we play,” Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao said. “The energy has come back to this team that’s why we can afford to play hard the whole 48 minutes.”
Sta. Lucia went 0-for-14 in the final 5:37 after getting a feel of a relentless Red Bull press that stretched out all the way to the backcourt.
Paolo Bugia, like Tejada for the Giants, is a third-string player in his squad. The former Ateneo center in the UAAP had a breakout game of his own, shooting his career-high 15 points in the first two periods that impressed Guiao.
The absence of Kenneth Duremdes for the Realtors because of an ankle injury also did not held the Realtors’ cause. And Guiao was man enough to admit that things could have been different had the former MVP been able to suit up. Duremdes sustained the sprain in a freak play during the waning seconds of a win over Air21 when he banged his right foot hard against the rolling advertisement machine. He is listed as day-to-day.
“Our bench played better than Sta. Lucia’s,” Guiao said. “Paolo (Bugia) came up with huge baskets in the first half when we struggled. His efforts obviously helped us enter the second (half) with a lot of confidence.
“Of course, had Kenneth (Duremdes) been there, things could have been different because he brings a totally different dimension into their (Realtors’) offense.”
Enrico Villanueva scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Pennisi highlighted his night by finishing with 15 points and 13 boards. Chester Tolomia, a former Ginebra discard who was recruited back into the PBA by the Realtors from the amateur ranks, saw extended minutes and finished with 24 points, also a career-high.
Tolomia hit 15 of his total in the third period and was going great guns until he picked up his fifth foul off a driving Celino Cruz, forcing Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua to recall him to the bench. He was a totally different player when he returned, a result of an extended time on the bench, though he did grab 11 rebounds to finish with double-double figures for the third straight game for the 1-4 Realtors.
