WELCOAT NIPS GINEBRA BEHIND STRONG FINISH

Rookies Devance & Arana star in upset of Phil Cup champs
Philippine Basketball Association website
Monday, 17 September 2007



TARLAC -- Welcoat, looking to make some inroads the coming season with its acquisition of a prized Fil-Am rookie, chalked up its first win in the 2007 PBA Pre-Season Tourney with a 99-97 upset of reigning Philippine Cup champion Barangay Ginebra at the Tarlac State University gym here Sunday.

Welcoat rode high on the endgame exploits of amateur draftees Joe Devance and Ryan Arana as the Dragons pulled the rug from under the Kings and got back into contention for the one-game Finale of the preseason event.

Devance, the top draft pick, strung up eight straight points while Arana, No. 12 pick overall, banged in a three-pointer inside the last three minutes as the Dragons scored their first win following back-to-back defeats at the hands of the KT&G team of Korea and the Talk N Text Phone Pals.

Welcoat surged ahead to stay at 98-97 on a decisive trey by Arana with time down to 24 seconds.

Earlier, the Dragons came charging back from a seven-point deficit on an eight-point binge by Devance highlighted by back-to-back triples by the ex-University of Texas at El Paso stalwart.

After Arana made it 98-97, Ginebra had a chance to salvage the game but Macky Escalona missed what had looked like an easy layup.

Denver Lopez split his charities with time down to 0.6 seconds for the final count in the closely fought match between the two teams which finished champions and tailenders in the 2006 All-Filipino tourney.

Devance and Rob Wainwright tossed in 20 points apiece while Jay-R Reyes added 17 points to lead the Dragons past the Kings still playing minus key players Eric Menk, Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Johnny Abarrientos and Rafi Reavis.

Ginebra suffered a second loss in three defeats as the Kings virtually bombed out of contention for the preseason crown won by the Alaska Aces last year.

The two teams engaged in a fierce battle from start to finish with Ginebra barely taking the opening half at 49-46 on a three-point play by Devance with time down
to nine seconds.

The Dragons and the Kings figured in seven deadlocks in the first 24 minutes of play.

Ginebra stayed ahead, 75-73, at the close of the third period where Welcoat went 4-of-11 from the stripe. (NC)

The scores:

Welcoat 99 – Devance 20, Wainwright 20, Reyes 17, Lopez 13, Gelig 8, Sta. Maria 8, Baguion 8, Arana 5, Mente 0, Ballesteros 0.
Ginebra 97 – Macapagal 22, Salvacion 15, Mamaril 13, Santos 13, Hubalde 12, Holper 9, Tubid 4, Aquino 2, Lao 0.
Quarterscores: 19-15, 46-49, 73-75, 99-97.