The Beermen, 21 points down in several instances in the first half, defeated the Kings in their own never-say-die game and posted a high-wire 69-68 victory in a PBA Philippine Cup elimination game before a sizeable Araneta Coliseum crowd.

Arwind Santos, after tossing in 20 points and collaring 11 boards, came up with the best defensive play of the game in the waning seconds as the Beermen sealed the win and rose to 2-1 in new coach Ato Agustin’s first outing.

Santos ignited the San Miguel fight back with 11 of his total in the third period, and when the game rested on a final play inside the last 6.3 seconds, the reedy forward forced Willie Miller to dribble off his foot and commit a costly turnover.

“I just did what I had to do out there,” Santos told reporters in Filipino. “I sort of expected that Willie (Miller) will be asked to take the final shot for Ginebra, so I just hung in there and played defense as best as I could.” Ginebra took several 21-point leads, the last at 45-24 late in the second period, making it look like it would be a cruise the rest of the way for the crowd-darlings.

But the San Miguel defense clicked in the third as the Beermen held the Kings to nine paltry points in the quarter and Santos was on target by hitting all four of his two-point attempts that went with one triple.

From a 31-46 deficit, the Beermen then took a 59-55 lead into the fourth period before matching Ginebra’s intensity the rest of the way to pound out the win.

“I am very happy, my first game turned out to be a win,” Agustin, the 1992 PBA MVP who last Friday fulfilled his commitment to San Sebastian in the NCAA to pave the way for his first full-time head coaching stint with San Miguel, said.

“We were out-hustled in the first half and we didn’t have any aggressiveness in defense that’s why we trailed big early.” Jay Washington scored all of his 13 points in the first three periods but was the second San Miguel player in double double with 14 boards, and Alex Cabagnot contributed 11 and six assists for the Beermen.

Miller, a winner of two MVP awards with different teams, was actually responsible for the hot Ginebra start by tossing in 11 of his team-high 19 in the first period.

But after him, only Ronald Tubid finished in twin digits with 10 with Mark Caguioa held down to eight and Jay-Jay Helterbrand a dismal two points in three total attempts.

Powerade also improved to 2-1 earlier after Gary David scored 23 points and Dennis Espino tossed in 12 of his 17 in the first half in an easy 87-77 victory over Barako Bull.

David was at the forefront of the Powerade offense all night, finishing off breaks and hitting the occasional jump shot as the Tigers, who came into the game licking the wounds of a 75-82 loss to the Kings last week, got back on the winning track.

Espino, meanwhile, showed flashes of his old brilliance as he hit 6-of-11 field goal attempts and made all but one of six charities as the Tigers didn’t show signs of missing Asi Taulava whom they dealt in a lopsided transaction to Meralco before season’s start.

Barako Bull lost for the second time in three outings after failing to sustain a hot start that had the Energy Boosters taking an early seven-point lead.

“I was bit worried in the dug out because I could sense that the players were confident coming into the game,” Powerade coach Bo Perasol said. “Out of my character, I talked to them in an angry manner so that they would understand that every win is important.” William Antonio, a shooting guard plucked out of retirement, scattered 14 points and had the same number of rebounds in his finest game since making a comeback near the end of last season.

Reed Juntilla top-scored for the Energy Boosters with 19 and undrafted rookie Hans Thiele had 13 points and 13 boards in another mammoth effort for coach Junel Baculi.