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Sunday PBA Shocker: Barako ends long skid, stuns Meralco


After authoring a stunning win in the PBA Philippine Cup just a week ago, Meralco found itself at the receiving end this time. New recruit Sunday Salvacion towed Barako Bull from a double-digit deficit in the second half, before Reed Juntilla completed the comeback by scoring his team’s final eight points as the Boosters jolted the Bolts, 74-68, Sunday night for their first win in the season-opening tournament. Salvacion shot the lights out of the Astrodome, nailing 5 of 6 from the three-point range on his way to finishing with a game-high 21 points, while Juntilla added 11, including the go-ahead basket in the final 37 seconds and two free throws that clinched the surprise victory for the Boosters. Together, the two combined for 17 points in the fourth period, with Salvacion knocking three straight three-pointers that sparked a 15-2 run in the quarter and wiped out a 53-59 Barako Bull deficit. Both the Bolts and the Boosters, a 64-88 loser to reigning Fiesta Cup champion Alaska the last time around, are now tied with identical 1-1 cards. It was also the first win for Barako since stunning Sta. Lucia – the franchise which Meralco took over – last June 13 during the Fiesta Conference, 108-100. The Boosters also ended their two-year losing streak at the Astrodome, where they last won over the Realtors on July 6, 2008, before losing 13 straight. “Hopefully, this is a confidence builder for our less talented team," a humble Barako Bull coach Junel Baculi said in the post-game interview. “We learned our lessons well the last time against Alaska. I told the boys to be consistent on defense and our offense will follow. We are the ones who cannot out-shoot any of these teams, but we can out-defend them." Out-defend the Bolts the Boosters did. Trailing 36-46 early in the third and by six entering the payoff period, Barako went on a defensive mode in the final 12 minutes, holding Meralco to 14.3-percent shooting on 3 of 21 attempts from the field. The Bolts also missed five crucial free throws out of their eight attempts during the quarter. Juntilla’s pull-up jumper shattered the final deadlock and put the Boosters in front for good, 70-68. Meralco had a shot at tying the game in the next possession, but Mac Mac Cardona, hero in the Bolts’ 73-72 win over the Barangay Ginebra Kings, missed a one-hander. Juntilla parlayed the next offensive into two free throws to make it a four-point Barako lead. Ron Wainwright added 13 points and Mark Isip contributed 10 for the Boosters, who again drew a superb effort from rookie Hans Thiele. The former University of the East standout collected 13 rebounds, eight points and four assists, before becoming the recipient of a clothesline tackle courtesy of Gabby Espinas in the waning seconds. Espinas was slapped with a flagrant foul-2 and was ejected. He will miss Meralco’s next game on Friday. Cardona paced the Bolts with 19 points, but went scoreless in the fourth period, going 0-for-5 from the field. - RCJ, KY, GMANews.TV

Scores: Barako 74– Salvacion 21, Wainwright 13, Juntilla 11, Isip 10, Thiele 8, Dimaunahan 4, Hubalde 3, Andaya 2, Misolas 2, Alonzo 0, Duncil 0, Cruz 0, Yee 0. Meralco 68 – Cardona 19, Belga 13, Espinas 11, Taulava 9, Ross 6, Aquino 4, Weinstein 2, Escobal 2, Omolon 2, Aljamal 0, Daa 0. Quarter scores: 18-18, 28-37, 53-59, 74-68
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