2012 PBA Philippine Cup Roundup: October 19, 2012

Rookie Calvin Abueva (R) tangles with Petron
big man Jay Washington.

It’s awesome when underdogs win. It’s especially awesome when the underdog team has a rookie, who’s fresh from losing in the NCAA semifinals by the way, who scores 12 points and grabs 16 rebounds, playing even better than some of the most seasoned players sharing the same court.

That rookie, of course, is none other than former San Sebastian Stag Calvin Abueva. Abueva, a native of Pampanga, outplayed his own kababayan, Arwind Santos. Santos, dubbed the Spiderman, scored 11 markers, collared 7 rebounds, had 2 assists, and blocked 3 shots, but it was Abueva who clearly stole the show. Nicknamed the Beast in college, Abueva played center for a good part of his stint on the floor despite being severely undersized at just 6’2”.

In the second game, former Powerade Tiger Sean Anthony had another great outing, scoring 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting to lead the Energy Colas past the favored Ginebra Kings. He was ably supported by former B-Meg Llamado Josh Urbizrtondo, who netted 19 points on 10-of-17 shooting. He outplayed Smart Gilas 2.0 playmaker LA Tenorio, who recorded just 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting.

Both Alaska and Barako Bull move up, tied with Ginebra and Meralco, and now possess identical 2-win and 2-loss standings, while Petron sinks with just one win to show after 4 games.

Game Recaps:

ALASKA ACES over PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS, 88-86

Calvin Abueva came through with a beastly performance in his debut game, and the Alaska Aces relied on the hot shooting of Dondon Hontiveros down the stretch as they turned back the Petron Blaze Boosters, 88-86, in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

It was the second straight win for the Aces, who drew a double-double performance from their prized newcomer.

Abueva, still smarting his alma mater’s NCAA final four loss to Letran last Monday, showed he’s ready for the big leagues, finishing with 12 points and 16 rebounds — a rookie-high this season — in just 27 minutes.

“What can I say? It’s nice to have Calvin because he brings so much to our team energy wise. He’s going to be the backbone of this franchise. His energy is infectious and we were able to come back from 12 points down because of that,” said a jubilant Alaska coach Luigi Trillo.

“Once he started playing, he immediately became the energizer of our team. We’re fortunate to pick him second in the draft.”

While all eyes were focused on Abueva, Hontiveros stole the spotlight with his finest game in years.

Up against a team he’s been associated with for a long time, Hontiveros drilled in 17 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting. All of his four treys came in the fourth period, with his last one giving the Aces a 76-72 lead with 6:11 left.

With Abueva in the game, Trillo was able to play a small-ball lineup which brought the Aces back in the game.

Abueva, who stands just 6-foot-2, was tasked to man the center spot while Mac Baracael played power forward. The Aces found no trouble playing small, even beating the Boosters squad which played without rookie center June Mar Fajardo on second chance points, 17-16.

ALA 88 – Baguio 21, Hontiveros 17, Abueva 12, Casio 9, Thoss 8, Jazul 6, Baracael 6, Espinas 3, Reyes 2, Eman 2, Dela Cruz 2

PET 86 – Lutz 20, Washington 15, Cabagnot 12, Santos 11, Pena 11, Miranda 7, Yeo 4, Ildefonso 4, Mallari 2

QS: 17-18, 37-41, 57-65, 88-86

Don Don Hontiveros helped the Aces
overcome the might Boosters.

Chris Lutz plants a mouthful on Cyrus Baguio.

BARAKO BULL ENERGY COLAS over BGY. GINEBRA KINGS, 92-82

On a team full of veteran players, Sean Anthony figured out when to pick his spots.

The hardworking forward scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, powering Barako Bull to a 92-82 triumph over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Friday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

“Sometimes Sean Anthony knows his role and sometimes he doesn’t. This team is full of veterans and he adjusted well tonight,” said Barako Bull coach Junel Baculi.

The 6-foot-4 Anthony went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and got plenty of help from Josh Urbiztondo, Mick Pennisi, Ronald Tubid and Enrico Villanueva.

Urbiztondo contributed 19 points, Pennisi added 11, and Tubid chipped in 10.

Vilanueva, who was acquired by Barako Bull before the tournament started, added nine points and eight rebounds.

The win enabled Barako Bull to snap a two-game slide. The Energy Colas’ win-loss record improved to 2-2 and forging a four-way tie for fourth to seventh places along with their victim and Alaska Milk and Meralco.

“Before the game, we talked about the importance of playing together. If you work together, win or lose, something good will happen,” said Baculi. “We caught Ginebra on an off night and we pulled off this win.”

BAR 92 – Anthony 21, Urbiztondo 19, Pennisi 11, Tubid 10, Villanueva 9, Najorda 7, Yap 6, Seigle 3, Alvarez 2, Ballesteros 2, Kramer 2

GIN 82 – Caguioa 21, Raymundo 11, Mamaril 10, Ellis 8, Jensen 8, Tenorio 6, Wilson 6, Maliksi 5, Maierhofer 5, Hatfield 2, Cortez 0, Helterbrand 0

QS: 27-22, 48-44, 68-69, 92-82