Alaska Tripped by SMB

Alaska Aces Website
Saturday, September 15, 2007 · News



The Alaska Aces got plenty of practice time for their rookie draftees and free-agent aspirants as they bowed to the San Miguel Beermen, 94-100, in a Philippine Basketball Association pre-season game at the Lyceum of the Philippines.

The Aces received a lot of cheers from the fans, mostly students, but the Beermen still walked away with the victory.

With Dale Singson opting to return home to Cebu to retire and Mike Cortez still rehabbing a hyper-extended knee, the point guard position remains a concern for the Aces.

Philippine Basketball League veteran Ariel Capus showed his versatility by getting a lot of minutes at the point guard spot.

Capus plays small forward and big guard for Cebuana Lhuiller in the PBL but showed that he could competently run the offense of a PBA team. In college Capus played power forward and center for the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers.

Reigning PBA Most Valuable Player Willie Miller led all scorers with 16 points. Veterans John Ferriols and Tony Dela Cruz had 13 and 12 markers respectively. Ken Bono had 10 points, Sonny Thoss chipped in seven, Reynel Hugnatan had six while Junjun Cabatu had five markers

Eddie Laure waxed hot, scoring nine straight points at the start of the fourth period to push Alaska to its last taste of the lead 79-78. But the Beermen detonated a 16-3 bomb to put away the game, 94-82, with only 4:33 to go in the match.

Laure was pulled out in favor of Chris Luanson just after converting a triple early in the fourth period. He wound up with 10 points.

Winning practice games was clearly still not the priority of coach Tim Cone. Alaska played majority of the fourth period with Bono, Luanson, Cabatu, Joeffer Gonzales and Aaron Aban on the floor.

It may have been a practice game but being a PBA game, it was physical from start to finish.

Both rookie signees Bono and JR Quinahan were banging bodies against the San Miguel bigs all game long. Both fouled out. Quinahan early in the third period and Bono late in the fourth period.

Ferriols converted a difficult off balanced jumper over the outstretched hands of Danny Ildefonso to push the Alaska Aces to a slim 27-25 first quarter lead.

Miller backed up a determined Jonas Villanueva into the paint. Banging bodies all the way Villanueva held is ground. But having drawn the defense to himself Miller zipped the ball to Dela Cruz at the primeter. Dela Cruz then drilled an open triple to push Alaska to a 45-44 halftime lead.

Quinahan fouled out trying to control six-foot-nine Samigue Eman inside the paint. Quinahan was banished from the floor with 2:34 left in the third period with the count tied at 67-all.

Eman showed that he is not just a lumbering giant. In one sequence he stole the ball just past the midcourt line, dribbled almost the length of the court and could have had a slam dunk but for the duty foul of Rensy Bajar. Eman converted both free throws to push San Miguel to a 76-73 lead at the end of the third quarter.