Aces stun Texters, take 1-0 lead in best-of-seven semis series

Up against the most explosive team in the league, Alaska got a big lift from an unlikely source. Defense-minded Reynel Hugnatan presided over a telling third-quarter breakaway as the Alaska Aces stunned no. 1 seed Talk N Text at the start of their PBA semifinals series Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum. Averaging just 4.4 points per game, Hugnatan came through with 16 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of play, sparking a second-half breakaway that turned an expected close match into a rout. The lead reached as high as 100-76 on a Cyrus Baguio three-pointer with 2:32 left to play, paving the way for the Aces to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. “We played almost picture-perfect in the second half and we must continue to do that to beat this team in this series," said Cone. Ranidel de Ocampo led Talk N Text with 20 points, but the rest of the Tropang Texters big men got saddled by foul trouble early in the fourth period, further hobbling the Tropang Texters’ frontline. The Aces beat out the Tropang Texters off the boards, 53-47. Ironically, the Tropang Texters lost five of their first six series opener in a best-of-seven series. Import Diamon Simpson led the Aces with 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Joe Devance added 19 points and LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio had 13 points each. Tony Dela Cruz only had nine points, but grabbed eight rebounds, while new acquisition Topex Robinson scored four points on perimeter jumpers. “I don’t think they had a real answer for Rey because they focused so much on Diamon they forgot about some of our other players," said Cone. “That’s easy to do with the numbers Diamon puts up." The Aces trailed, 44-46, before Baguio and Hugnatan took over and led the team to a 78-65 spread. - RCJ, GMANews.TV