ANTIPOLO, 31 May 2008 — It’s now easy to see why the only two teams with two imports in the Fiesta Cup are poles apart in the standings.
Jason Dixon and Daniel Copeland totally outplayed their counterparts from Welcoat and led Coca-Cola to a 94-87 win last night at the Ynares Center that kept the Tigers on top of the heap and the Dragons in the doldrums.
Dixon scattered 26 points, had 18 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in spearheading the Tigers to their second straight win and eighth in 12 games overall, a good full game ahead of three other teams running in second. Welcoat’s Marquis Gainous and Corey Santee could only combine for 24 as the Dragons lost for the fourth straight time in their 3-9 card and are in real danger of missing the playoff bus for the fourth consecutive tournament.
The 5-foot-9 Copeland, who came in to replace the inconsistent George Gervin Jr., had 18 points, five assists and two steals, quarterbacking the Coca-Cola offense with utmost efficiency, one which could not be said of Santee. It was a repeat of the Tigers’ first round conquest of the Dragons, who won just a total of seven games in their first season last year and three in the Philippine Cup won by Sta. Lucia to become the only team eliminated each time. While Gainous and Santee combined for 16 rebounds, they also helped the Dragons’ downfall by committing eight turnovers between them. Coca-Cola was actually ahead, 73-57 entering the final period before the Dragons dropped a 15-4 bomb that knotted the score at 85 after two Santee free throws heading into the last 1:54.
But Dixon hit four free throws and Welcoat’s Rob Wainwright threw up an airball from three-point distance that led to rookie Ronjay Buenafe hitting 3-of-4 charities inside the final 48.5 seconds to seal the win for the Tigers.
Alaska is also a team on a streak, as the Aces brought down slumping Purefoods, 88-60, in an ugly second game for their fourth straight win. Import Randy Holcomb may have just cemented his spot on the roster and swamped the doubting Thomases by missing a triple double by three assists after dropping 19 points and collaring 17 rebounds.
Alaska took the half, 47-22, and it was practically all over by then as nothing went right for the Tender Juicy Giants.
The Aces rose to 6-6 and put themselves on the right track toward making the playoffs outright, while the Giants, dropped to a share of seventh place with idle powerhouse Magnolia at 5-6.
Alaska’s win made it the hottest team in the tournament as the streak involved wins over the Tigers, Red Bull, Talk ‘N Text — all coming from the two three places — and this massacre of the Giants.
Before the game, the Aces’ winning margin in the first three victories was close to 15 points.
“It was one of those night when everything went well for us and nothing went well for them,” Cone added. “We were on the bad side for so long and I think we deserve to be on the good side now.”
