Tang sizzles as Harbour shocks RP five

People's Journal
October 24, 2007

Games Tomorrow
(The Arena, San Juan)
2 p.m. -- Mail & More vs RP Team
4 p.m. -- Pharex vs Toyota Balintawak

Rookie TY Tang fired 26 points, including back-to-back triples at crunch time as Harbour Centre stunned the Philippine team, 83-74, in the 2008 PBL V-Go Extreme Energy Drink Cup at the EAC gym in Manila.

Playing as if he has been with the team for a long time, the 5-foot-10 mocked all guards thrown at him, including back-to-back MVP winner Jason Castro, en route to scoring his career best in the country’s premier amateur basketball league.

So hot was Tang that the stars of the SEA Games-bound RP team just shook their head in utter disgust each time the La Salle knocked in a a basket.

He knocked in all but one of his five attempts from the three-point zone and was 4-of-4 from the stripes. In all, he was 9-of-14 from the field.

“It’s really my dream to play for Harbour Centre, so when Dr. Mikee Romero told me that he was interested in getting me, I said ‘Yes’ immediately,” said the 23-year-old former Xavier School star. “I was really challenged to play hard.”

What made his performance the more impressive was that he practiced with the team for only three days.

His performance also caught the fancy of several team officials, including RP team manager Erick Arejola.

“He has matured a lot since helping La Salle win the UAAP championship,” said Arejola.

The Nationals took a 25-16 first quarter lead as Jeff Chan and Erick dela Cuesta buried a triple each in a bristling 7-0 run.

But the Batang Pier, gunning for a fourth straight championship, rallied in the second quarter with Tang knocking in 9 points to tie the game at 46-all at the end of the first half.

Harbour Centre steadily pulled away from RP team in the third when Edwin Asoro joined forces with Fil-Am Solomon Mercado and Tang to post a 68-60 lead with still 68 ticks left.
The scores:
First Game
Harbour Centre 83 - Tang 26, Mercado 13, Maierhofer 8, Asoro 8, Vergara 8, Gaco 6, Malababan 6, Jhnke 4, Taylor 2, Gamboa 2, Ababou 0, Canizares 0, Gonzales 0.
RP Team 74 - Castro 19, Belga 11, Alonzo 10, Crisano 9, Chan 8, Dela Cuesta 6, Salangsang 3, Cruz 3, Cabahug 3, Bautista 2, Tan 0, Fernandez 0.
Quarters: 18-25; 46-46; 70-61, 83-74.