Asi Taulava knocked in 6-of-8 free throws inside the final 3:20 as Coca-Cola, which will be in the wildcard no matter what, rose to 7-9 overall and extended the Beermen’s woes at the Araneta Coliseum.
John Williamson, in his second game in the country, scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds before fouling out and RJ Rizada added 12 points coming off the bench as the Tigers survived a lukewarm night by leading local scorer Gary David to pound out the win.
Ato Agustin, the former San Miguel great who is San Sebastian’s head coach in the NCAA, called the shots for the Beermen with head coach Siot Tanquingcen on the bench as a figurehead, fanning reports that a coaching change is forthcoming this late in the tournament.
Tanquingcen appeared before reporters after the game, and if one was to read between the lines, the soft-spoken mentor who steered the Beermen to the championship here last year, is indeed on the way out.
“For me, I thank God and management for the opportunity to lead the team,” Tanquingcen said. “Like the players whom I asked to sacrifice, I have to put my words into practice. It’s not only the players who sacrifice. I don’t always have to do the coaching.
“This is just another way of helping the team that they (management) asked me to do.”
Tanquingcen also defended Agustin in the loss, saying that his assistant was “just feeling his way around the team and that it wasn’t fair to judge him after just one game.”
Another big development at San Miguel was Gabriel Freeman being absent for the second straight game.
The energetic import wasn’t even in the arena as reports have circulated that he was found to have tested positive for drug use, which the Commissioner’s Office refused to neither confirm nor deny.
“Under current rules, we keep it private between the Commissioner’s Office and the team (concerned),” commissioner Sonny Barrios told reporters when asked to shed light on the matter. “I cannot comment either way.”
As of press time, a second vial of Freeman’s urine sample is being tested at Camp Crame, with the result to be known in the next two weeks. In the meantime, the braided reinforcement is being kept in the freezer by the Beermen.
San Miguel led by as many as 14 points in the first three periods and had control in the fourth coming into the stretch.
But the Tigers clawed their way back and, despite losing Williamson to fouls, made a game out of it entering the final three minutes.
Taulava, the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks because of sub-par performances, was sent to the line for four pairs of charities inside the final 3:20, and the 55% free throw shooter delivered when the Tigers needed.
The last of Taulava’s free throws made it 85-84 until San Miguel took the lead for the last time courtesy of an Alex Cabagnot layup with 26 seconds left for 86-85.
Mark Macapagal then drilled a triple with 6.6 ticks to go before Danny Ildefonso missed a trey attempt that had Dondon Hontiveros fouling David with no time left for one more charity and the final count.
Meanwhile, Alaska kept its flickering outright Final Four hopes alive later in the night after breaking away in the fourth quarter for an 86-75 victory over Rain or Shine.
The Aces improved to 10-6, now half-a-game behind third-running Derby Ace and a full game behind the second placed Beermen.
Alaska will be in the quarterfinals and since the team has achieved that, coach Tim Cone admitted that he will now drive his boys to focus of grander things and give the Final Four a shot in their last two games.
Diamon Simpson scattered 26 markers and LA Tenorio had 21 points as Alaska dealt the Elasto Painters a second straight loss in a 7-8 card.
