MAGNOLIA GETS BACK ON TRACK WITH WIN OVER COKE

Tugade sizzles in fourth period to lead Beverage Masters to 3rd win in 4 starts
Philippine Basketball Association website
Sunday, 28 October 2007

Against a team that showed a lot of determination, the Magnolia Beverage Masters needed to dig deep into their defensive arsenal and a couple of jolting threes from Lordy Tugade to avoid another impending heartbreaker.

Tugade unleashed 13 of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to anchor a fiery comeback by Magnolia on the way to an 89-78 victory over the Coca-Cola Tigers Sunday night in the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.


Coming off its first loss of the conference via a 93-90 loss to Purefoods last Friday, Magnolia seemed headed for another frustrating night as it struggled to get its rhythm – offensive and defensively -- against an energized Coca-Cola unit that kept the Beverage Masters’ star-studded opponents reeling off the ropes for most of the early part of the game.

Missing its targets so badly, they then decided to turn their focus on defense.

It worked wonders.

Magnolia's perfectly-executed zone forced the Tigers from taking their shots from outside where they fared poorly and eventually committed crucial turnovers in their next possessions.

By the time the Tigers showed signs of cracking up, Tugade suddenly found his shooting touch and completed the annihilation of Coca-Cola.

After Mark Telan, who finished with(13 points and 11 rebounds, made two free throws to tie the count at 70-all, Tugade conspired with Dondon Hontiveros and veteran playmaker Olsen Racela in unleashing a deadly 9-0 blast over a five-minute stretch.

Telan answered with a 3-pointer to pull Coke to within 73-79 with 3:05 remaining but Tugade quickly replied with two threes of his own as Magnolia all but sealed the game for its third win in four starts.

"We made a little adjustment down the stretch. Good thing the zone worked,” said Magnolia coach Siot Tanquingcen.

"But we're still struggling. We're still trying to get everybody in the grove specially the starters. I'm trying to give everybody their minutes but right now it’s not possible," he added.

Ali Peek scored 16 points and cornered 11 rebounds and rookie Ronjay Buenafe and John Arigo had 11 apiece for Coke, which picked up its second loss in three games.

Three-pointers by Chester Tolomia, Ronjay Enrile and Ricky Calimag midway in the second quarter put Coke in control 40-33.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 52-40 on free throw by Telan early in the fourth but they began to lose their grip of the lead as their shooting started to turn sour. Coke shot woeful 28 percent (6-of-21) from the field in the third and trailed Magnolia 65-62 heading to the final period. They never led again.

The scores:

Magnolia 89 -- Tugade 21, Seigle 12, Villanueva 11, Ildefonso 11, Villanueva 7, Racela 6, Hontiveros 6, Fonacier 5, Tenorio 3, Gonzales 3, Eman 2, Wilson 2.
Coca-Cola 78 – Peek 16, Telan 13, Buenafe 11, Arigo 11, Tolomia 9, Calimag 7, Enrile 6, Rizada 4, Duremdes 1, Isip 0.
Quarterscores: 22-14, 38-44, 65-62, 89-78.